Papoutsakia-Greek stuffed eggplants are a classic, delicious dish. This spectacular recipe does not include meat. It has tender eggplants with a hearty tomato sauce, luxurious creamy béchamel, and cheese.

This recipe has been updated with a new copy, images, and clarification on some of the ingredients and cooking method.

If you love papoutsakia, you will also love this roasted giant beans in tomato sauce, Greek beef ragú pasta or feta cheese puff pastries with leeks and dill!

Why this recipe sings

In Greece, we call these delicious stuffed eggplants “papoutsakia,” which means “little shoes.” Usually, papoutsakia have a meat-based sauce, like a bolognese. This vegetarian version is lighter, although still a cheesy, creamy goodness. 

Pre-baking the eggplants and using some flesh in the filling is key. The earthy flavor of the flesh gives weight to the sweet tomato sauce without making it heavier. The béchamel on top is what makes this dish a great comfort food. Rich and creamy yet light, you don’t feel like you ate a heavy meal.

Note. A kind reader mentioned that a classic béchamel is a white roux and milk. Adding cheese makes this a Mornay or a white cheese sauce. He is right, but because Greek cooks traditionally call this white sauce a bechamel, I chose to leave the recipe written as is and not change it.

Here is what you need

For the eggplants and tomato sauce

• Eggplants.
• Onion and garlic cloves.
• Tomatoes. San Marzano whole tomatoes like Gustarosso.
• Bay leaf, cloves, and a cinnamon stick. Bay leaf adds a subtle bitterness, the cloves have a warm, intense flavor and aroma between sweet and bitter. The cinnamon is sweet and woody with slight citrusy notes. All three go very well with the umami tomatoes, complimenting their savory sweet flavor. They are a staple in making tomato sauce.
• Extra virgin olive oil. The one ingredient that is present in all greek recipes.
• Feta cheese. Just a little crumble is spread over the eggplants before the white sauce. It adds a tangy note to the creamy bechamel and goes well with the sweet eggplants and tomatoes.
• Kefalotiri cheese. The salty semi-hard cheese is the go-to for Greek cooks when serving pasta or adding to foods like giouvetsi, moussaka, or pastitsio. That said, many opt to substitute with grated parmesan or pecorino romano.
• Sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and dried oregano.

For the bechamel sauce

• Butter. Good quality unsalted butter.
• All-purpose flour. Keep some more around in case you need to thicken the sauce.
• Whole milk. As with the flour, keep a little more around if you need to loosen the sauce.
• Nutmeg, a bay leaf, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. The nutmeg is nutty and sweet, and the bay leaf adds a touch of bitterness to the milk.
• Kefalotiri cheese. It tends to be salty cheese, so season the bechamel after incorporating it into the sauce. Substitute with grated parmesan or pecorino romano. The tip about salt still applies to the substitute cheese.
• One egg. This is optional. An egg is used to make the bechamel more solid over the eggplants. I found that it bakes well without an egg too.

Start assembling

One of my tips is to start assembling before I make the bechamel sauce. I don’t like to have the white sauce wait around while I prepare the rest of the dish because it forms a light crusty film on top. This way, you use it over the eggplants right away.

Make the béchamel sauce

Top eggplants with at least two tablespoons of béchamel sauce. Sprinkle over the rest of the grated cheese. Add a pinch of chili flakes all over if you like.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden in color.