This stacked roasted eggplant recipe is one in every of my go-to vegetarian dinners. It has recent, candy oven-roasted eggplant layered with savory tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese, baked within the oven till bubbly. Mild AND filling? Sure, please.
I like to think about this roasted roasted eggplant as a deconstructed eggplant parmesan. It’s saucy, tacky, and scrumptious! In case you love the flavors on this recipe, additionally strive my stuffed eggplant with tomatoes and melty cheese.
My rule when making veggies for dinner? They higher be swimmin’ in sauce and lined in cheese. And since eggplants and tomatoes are one in every of my favourite pairings, these tacky, saucy roasted eggplant stacks appeared like a no brainer. This simple eggplant recipe is loaded with candy oven roasted eggplant slices layered with savory do-it-yourself tomato sauce and melty mozzarella cheese. It’s a scrumptious meatless meal, and fairly good wanting on a plate, too!
Why I Love This Roasted Eggplant Recipe
- Spectacular, however simple. That’s the very best type of dinner, isn’t it? These roasted eggplant “towers” are scrumptious to eat, good to take a look at, and so they’re ridiculously easy to make. Pre-roast the eggplant whilst you make the tomato sauce, then stack them up and bake.
- Recent Italian flavors. All the intense, tomato-y flavors within the sauce get soaked into the tender, creamy roasted eggplant (no bitterness, right here! I’ll present you the way). Topped with melted mozzarella, it’s like a little bit style of Italy on a fork.
- Vegetarian. This roasted eggplant recipe has been a Meatless Monday favourite for years. It’s satisfying and loaded with taste. You don’t even miss the meat! In fact, there’s all the time the choice to make this recipe with meat sauce, too, should you’d desire.
Elements You’ll Want
Recent and easy is the secret in the case of this recipe. Roasted eggplants don’t want a lot, however a scrumptious tomato sauce and melted mozzarella don’t harm. I’ve included some ingredient notes right here. Scroll all the way down to the recipe card for a printable checklist and full recipe particulars.
- Eggplant – Select a big, shiny eggplant that’s agency (much like a ripe tomato) and heavy for its dimension. The brisker the eggplant, the higher the flavour is. Slice it into 12 rounds. You’ll salt and calmly roast the eggplant slices earlier than you stack and bake them.
- Olive Oil – Or avocado oil.
- Onion – Cube up a yellow onion, or one other gentle onion selection.
- Bell Pepper – I exploit inexperienced bell peppers within the tomato sauce, however any coloration works. You may as well swap out gentle peppers for diced inexperienced chilies or poblanos for a spicier sauce.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is greatest.
- Tomato Sauce – Use your favourite jarred or do-it-yourself pasta sauce or marinara sauce.
- Brown Sugar – You may as well use granulated sugar or your most well-liked sweetener.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Only a sprint, for some added richness and umami within the sauce. You may as well use soy sauce.
- Herbs – I exploit Italian seasoning or dried oregano and recent parsley, however any dried or recent herbs work right here. Different good decisions are basil and thyme.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Freshly shredded mozzarella melts the smoothest. You need to use one other melty cheese like cheddar in a pinch.
Tips on how to Make Roasted Eggplant Stacks
There’s a small quantity of prep wanted to get the eggplants prepared for stacking. It’s fast, and many of the steps might be finished concurrently. I’ll often salt and roast the eggplant whereas making the sauce so all the pieces is prepared across the identical time. Right here’s what to do:
- Put together the eggplant. Prepare the eggplant slices on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the slices with salt, and go away them to relaxation and drain for 20 minutes. Afterward, pat the eggplant dry with paper towels.
- Bake. Pre-bake the eggplant in a 450ºF oven for 10-12 minutes, till the tops are browned.
- Sauté. In the meantime, get the onions and peppers sautéeing in a skillet with olive oil, salt, and pepper. As soon as these are tender, stir within the garlic.
- Make the sauce. Combine tomato sauce, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs collectively in a bowl. Pour this into the skillet with the veggies, and simmer for one more minute so it heats by means of.
- Flip down the oven. Take your roasted eggplants out of the oven. Afterward, decrease the oven temperature to 350ºF, and get stacking.
- Assemble. Unfold ¼ cup of tomato sauce into the underside of a greased casserole dish. Nestle 4 giant eggplant slices into the pan, and high every slice with extra sauce and a handful of shredded mozzarella. Place the subsequent eggplant layer on high, and repeat. It is best to find yourself with 3 eggplant slices per stack, ending with a remaining layer of cheese.
- Bake once more. Bake your eggplant uncovered for quarter-hour till the cheese melts and the tops flip a scrumptious, toasty brown. Take them out and serve!
Why Salt the Eggplant?
Pre-salting the eggplant earlier than cooking (a method referred to as “sweating”) helps draw out moisture and takes away among the eggplant’s pure bitterness. It’s a straightforward further step, much like the way you’d draw out the surplus liquid from zucchini when making fritters. In case you’ve ever puzzled how eating places get their eggplant so wealthy and creamy, chances are high good it’s due to salt!
Suggestions and Variations
- Strive to not slice the eggplant too skinny. Do your greatest to not lower your eggplant slices lower than ½” thick. Eggplant shrinks whereas it cooks, so that you don’t wish to wind up with flimsy, mushy layers.
- Don’t skip the salt. I discussed it above, salting and draining the eggplant is vital! Not solely does it draw out the surplus moisture in order that the dish doesn’t prove watery, however it additionally enhances the flavour. Do that 20 minutes upfront whilst you chop the veggies for the tomato sauce. 😉
- Save the additional baking dish. To save lots of your self the additional dish to wash, you’ll be able to bake your eggplant stacks on the identical baking pan you used to pre-roast the eggplants. Line it with foil to make it even simpler to wash afterward.
- Add extra veggies. You possibly can bulk up this vegetarian eggplant recipe with extra greens, both within the sauce or layered in between slices. Cube up sautéed or roasted mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, or wilt greens like spinach into the sauce. Olives and capers are additionally simple add-ins.
- Make it meaty. Substitute the tomato sauce on this recipe with Bolognese sauce or this gradual cooker spaghetti sauce with floor beef.
- Add creamy Alfredo sauce. For much more tacky taste, unfold do-it-yourself Alfredo sauce in between layers.
Tips on how to Retailer and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Retailer any leftover roasted eggplant lined within the fridge for as much as 2 days. After that, I discover that the veggies get a bit soggy. Sadly, this dish isn’t appropriate for freezing.
- Reheat. Heat up leftovers within the microwave or within the oven till the cheese is melted and the eggplant layers are heated by means of.
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Prep. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
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Salt and pre-bake the eggplant. Prepare eggplant slices on the ready baking sheet and sprinkle every slice with salt; let stand 20 minutes. Utilizing paper towels, wipe off the moisture from every slice and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or till browned on high.
To Make the Tomato Sauce
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Sauté. In a big skillet, warmth olive oil over medium warmth. Add onions and peppers; season with salt and pepper and prepare dinner till tender, about 4 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir within the garlic and proceed to prepare dinner for 20 seconds.
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Combine the remaining components. In a mixing bowl, mix the tomato sauce, gentle brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and parsley. Combine till completely mixed.
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Mix. Add tomato sauce combination to the onion combination and prepare dinner for 1 to 2 minutes or till heated by means of.
To Assemble
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Take out the eggplant. Take away eggplants from the oven. Decrease the oven temperature to 350ºF.
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Put together a baking dish. Calmly grease a baking pan or a casserole dish with cooking spray or you should utilize the identical baking sheet that you simply used for roasting the eggplants.
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Assemble. Cowl the underside of the baking dish with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Place the 4 largest eggplant slices over the tomato sauce. Over every slice of eggplant, unfold a few tablespoons of tomato sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Every stack ought to consist of three slices of eggplant.
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Bake. Bake uncovered for quarter-hour, or till the cheese is melted and the tops flip gentle brown.
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Serve. Take away the eggplant stacks from the oven and serve.
Energy: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 13g | Fats: 16g | Saturated Fats: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 7g | Ldl cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 758mg | Potassium: 708mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 1056IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 345mg | Iron: 2mg
Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values could fluctuate in line with the components and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
