Looking for a simple yet indulgent way to enjoy eggplant? This Italian-style eggplant dish brings out the best in humble ingredients. Thick eggplant halves are heavily salted then rinsed, dried, and pan-fried until golden and creamy. While still warm, they’re gently spread with velvety mascarpone and topped with ripe tomato pulp, juicy raw onion, and garlic—layering textures and flavors in every bite. Serve this as an aperitif or a side alongside roasted meats, beans, or grains. For an Italian twist, pair it with rice or pasta (spaghetti works beautifully). This dish is proof that sometimes the simplest things can taste the most elegant.
Italian eggplant is a simple and flavorful dish made with tender eggplant slices baked in a rich tomato and herb sauce. It’s the perfect side or vegetarian main course, inspired by traditional Mediterranean flavors and easy to prepare at home.
Italians love vegetables. They cook them mostly with onion-garlic additives and do not consider the breath odor to irritate anyone. National dishes with such an effect are familiar to everyone in Italy.
But in post-Soviet countries, such a flavor is considered a bad tone. For that reason, it is better to put such food on the table for dinner, when it is not expected to go to the office or attend social events.
Ingredients
- 14 oz eggplant
- 7 oz tomate
- 6 cloves garlic
- 3 1/2 oz red onion
- 3 oz coarsely ground breading
- 3 oz mascarpone cheese
- 3 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 tbsp salt for soaking eggplant to remove bitterness
- 1 ½ tsp salt for frying
Instructions
- Take eggplants and make coarse slices lengthwise, not in circles. Salt them well.
- After half an hour, wash and, after a little drying, bread it.
- Fry, turning, until soft in heated and salted oil.
- When hot, smear with mascarpone and squeeze tomato pulp over the top.
- Sprinkle with onion and garlic cloves. Let cool.
- Serve as an appetizer with meat, potatoes, legumes, and even cereals. Tip for this recipe: rice or pasta (preferably spaghetti) will be very tasty and quite Italian.
