Melanzane sott'olio: How to Pick the Good Ones & 4 Ways to Serve Them
Melanzane sott'olio are among the most iconic Italian preserves. In every southern pantry you’ll find at least one jar—homemade, gifted by nonna, or picked up at the market. They’re part of the daily alphabet of Italian cooking.
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Yet quality on the shelf varies wildly. Industrial melanzane sott'olio are often a compromise: harsh vinegar, seed oil, preservatives, limp aubergines that have lost their bite. Properly made melanzane sott'olio are something else entirely.
Our artisan EVO melanzane sott'olio follow the traditional recipe of southern Italy: sliced aubergines, blanched, dried, then preserved in extra-virgin olive oil with garlic, chilli and parsley. No added preservatives.
How to spot well-made melanzane sott'olio
Three tell-tale signs when you open a jar.
The colour. Good aubergines are amber or lightly browned, never grey or green. Grey signals oxidation; green means undercooking.
The texture. The slices should stay separate, not clump together. When you lift them with a fork you should see distinct pieces, not a mushy mass.
The oil. It must be extra-virgin olive oil, not seed oil or a “blend”. A quality EVO used for sottoli has its own aroma and a green-gold hue.
1. Classic antipasto on a sharing board
The most traditional way to serve them. On a board or serving plate, arrange the melanzane sott'olio drained of excess oil, add a few black olives, a slice of toasted farmhouse bread and a shard of aged pecorino or provolone.
Allow a heaped tablespoon per person for an antipasto. Pair with a chilled white or a light glass of red.
2. In a sandwich: the ultimate Italian packed lunch
Melanzane sott'olio in a sandwich is one of the most Italian grab-and-go lunches there is. Three fool-proof versions:
Vegetarian: crusty bread, melanzane sott'olio, fior di latte mozzarella, rocket leaves, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
With prosciutto: crusty bread, melanzane sott'olio, two slices of prosciutto crudo, a twist of black pepper. No butter, no mayo.
Mixed sottoli: crusty bread, two slices of melanzane sott'olio, two strips of peperoni sott'olio, a few black olives, fresh basil.
3. Ten-minute pasta with melanzane
A first course ready in ten minutes. For two servings: 160 g short pasta (penne, casarecce), six or seven slices of melanzane sott'oil cut into pieces, one garlic clove, two fresh cherry tomatoes diced, fresh basil.
In a pan warm two tablespoons of the preserving oil with the crushed garlic. Add the diced melanzane and tomatoes. When the pasta is al dente, drain and toss in the pan for a minute. Fresh basil at the table, Parmesan if you like.
4. Warm side dish with burrata
Melanzane sott'olio aren’t just for cold plates. Flash-sautéed for a minute over high heat they become a warm side, perfect next to a burrata or mozzarella for a summer one-dish meal.
Heat a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a pan. Add eight to ten slices of melanzane sott'olio and toss for one minute over high heat. Serve hot on a plate beside a torn burrata. Finish with coarse salt, cracked black pepper and fresh basil.
Storing an opened jar
Once opened, always keep the melanzane submerged under oil. If the original oil level drops, top up with extra-virgin olive oil to maintain a protective layer. Refrigerate after opening. They keep beautifully for two to three weeks.
The complete sottoli line
To build a full Italian antipasto, our savoury welcome kit includes melanzane, peperoni, sun-dried tomatoes and three more savoury jars.
All the sottoli are in the sottoli collection.
