Ingredients

- 1 big eggplant (half to grill, half to roasted. Or 1 small to grill and 1 small to roasted)

- 200g ricotta cheese

- 1 egg

- 50g pecorino, finely gratered (or parmesan)

- fresh thyme

- salt and pepper

- some olive oil

For the bechamel sauce

- 500g of milk

- 30g of butter

- 30g of flour

- 50g of parmesan, gratered

- nutmeg (on top)

Slice half eggplant 4-5mm thick. Leave it on a tray sprinkled with salt for 20 minutes, until the water comes out.

Then grill them on a non-stick-pan with a bit of olive oil, until both sides are lightly brown. Set aside.

Place the other half of the eggplant on a oven tray with olive oil and salt. Cook it in the oven at 180°C (350F) for 20-30 minutes, or until it's brownish on top and the pulp is soft.

Once it is cooked, scoop the pulp and let it cool aside.

Make the ricotta filling: in a bowl mix the ricotta, with a pinch of salt and pepper,

Add the thyme leaves, one egg and the pecorino (or parmesan).

Mix until smooth. Add the cool eggplant pulp in the ricotta and mix well again.

Prepare a cupcake oven tray. Cut the eggplant slices in half. Make eggplant nests on the cupcake tray.

Fill them with the ricotta mixture and cover them with eggplant slices. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Cook in the oven at 180°C (350F) for 5 to 10 minutes to warm up the filling. Let them cool at room temperature for 5 minutes before trying to take them out of the cupcake tray.

While the eggplant sformatino is cooking in the oven, you can make the bechamel sauce. Bring the milk to boil in a pot. In another pan melt the butter.

Once the butter is melted add the flour and stir with a spatula to get the "roux".

Add the roux in the milk and beat with a whisk until it starts to get dense. Add the pecorino and mix until it melts.

To serve: in a plate pour some bechamel sauce. With a spoon take out one sformatino from the oven tray and place it on top of the sauce.

Sprinkle the nutmeg over the bechamel sauce. Add some thyme to garnish. Serve warm.