Description
A simple roasted eggplant and tomato recipe to use up that end-of-summer bounty – made even better topped with creamy burrata.
Ingredients
For the topping:
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
- Zest of ½ lemon
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
For the eggplant:
- 2 large eggplants
- 3–4 large tomatoes, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Dried oregano
To serve:
- 2 medium or 1 large ball burrata
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
For the topping:
Heat the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium low heat. Cook until the nuts are golden brown and fragrant, shaking the pan often, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In the same skillet, heat the olive oil over medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the breadcrumbs and lemon zest. Add a healthy pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir to combine. Continue stirring until the breadcrumbs are toasted, about 2 minutes. (Watch carefully as the breadcrumbs can burn easily!)
Remove from the heat and add the parsley. Stir to combine. Set aside.
Prepare the eggplant:
On a cutting surface, slice the eggplants in half lengthwise. Lay each half flat side down. Using a sharp knife, cut each half into ‘fans’ by slicing lengthwise into 4 or 5 long pieces, leaving them intact at the stem end.
Drizzle a parchment-lined baking sheet with about a tablespoon of olive oil and lay the eggplant cut side down on the baking sheet, spreading out the fans. Season each piece with salt and pepper.
Stuff each piece with slices of tomato and garlic. Drizzle with more olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried oregano.
Bake in the oven for about one hour or until the eggplant is very soft and tender. (Note: Cooking time will vary based on the size of your eggplant.)
To serve:
Remove from oven. Break up the burrata into smaller pieces and spread amongst the eggplant on the baking sheet. Sprinkle everything with the reserved breadcrumbs, pine nuts, more chopped parsley and a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Serve!