With such a soft texture and delicate taste, eggplant is undoubtedly one of the most pleasant vegetables to cook with at this time. And what better way to make them even more inviting than a baked dish – to keep the eggplant from getting soggy or soaking up other ingredients? In fact, there are many ways to make baked eggplant – serve it as a side dish, as an accompanying ingredient or even on its own as an appetizer. To maintain a healthy diet without giving up a tasty meal!
How to make baked eggplant
Choose eggplants that are shiny and firm without any dents on the skin. Cut away the stalk and the bottom. Slice and cut into pieces according to the recipe you’ve chosen. Transfer them to a colander with a handful of coarse salt to help extract excess liquid. Let them rest like this for at least 30 minutes and then rinse well. This helps to remove the slightly bitter aftertaste of the eggplant. In case there is too much pulp, remove it. Dry with a paper towel and prepare them for your recipe. Both long and round eggplant are recommended for baking.
Recommended pairings
Fresh herbs, cheese, tomato, rice, fish and meat… Baked eggplant can be combined with many different ingredients for a tasty and appetizing result every time. Try slicing them and dressing them with a little oil, chopped basil and marjoram to serve as a finger food, or dip them in a batter of flour and eggs to serve as a warm appetizer. Or you could always hollow them out and stuff your eggplant with mozzarella and tomato for a unique dish with Mediterranean flavors. But perhaps you’d prefer slicing them and topping them with chopped capers, scamorza cheese and anchovy fillets for an irresistible roulade!
5 ideas for baked eggplant
For a delectable appetizer, slice the eggplant lengthwise and cover each slice with diced mozzarella di bufala and roll them up to form a sort of egg roll. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs, pine nuts and a few bay leaves. Add salt, a drizzle of oil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
You can also make a sort of ratatouille with eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes and other vegetables. Just thinly slice each vegetable and transfer to an oiled baking pan. Sprinkle the vegetables with breadcrumbs, salt and fresh herbs (e.g. basil and mint). Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.
Baked eggplant can also be used as an ingredient for savory pies or you can stuff them (once hollowed out) with rice, cheese or other veggies.
Stuffed eggplant can even be a substantial dish on its own – especially combined with rice and other vegetables.
With mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil, try making an eggplant savory pie to serve the next day – when the dish will taste even better!