Silky Roasted Eggplant with Tomato and Feta
By Ben MimsPublished on March 3, 2025
Time
1¾ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
We developed this recipe with Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton kosher salt, which is denser, use only 1½ teaspoons in step 1. Before flambéing, make sure to roll up long shirt sleeves, tie back long hair, turn off the exhaust fan (otherwise the fan may pull the flames up), and turn off any lit burners (this is critical if you have a gas stove). If flambéing, do not use a nonstick skillet; the heat produced by flambéing (igniting) the contents of the skillet can damage nonstick coatings.
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over 2 rimmed baking sheets (1 tablespoon per sheet), then use pastry brush to evenly coat the sheets.
- Peel 2½ pounds eggplant and slice on bias into ½-inch-thick planks. Arrange eggplant slices in even layer over sheets, then brush eggplant evenly with ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle eggplant with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper.
- Bake until slices are golden brown on bottom and tender throughout, about 30 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 finely chopped onion and cook until softened and beginning to caramelize at edges, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in ½ cup dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until mostly evaporated, about 1 minute.
- Stir in 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes and ½ teaspoon sugar, increase heat to high, and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside about two-thirds of sauce and spread remaining sauce in even layer in skillet.
- Remove sheets from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Let eggplant cool for 5 minutes. Using thin metal spatula, flip each slice and let cool completely on sheets.
- Arrange one-third of cooled eggplant slices in skillet in single layer, spooning some tomato sauce in skillet over eggplant and spreading to cover. Using remaining eggplant slices and reserved sauce, repeat layering 2 more times to make 3 layers. Sprinkle 8 ounces feta evenly over top layer.
- Transfer skillet to upper rack in oven and bake until sauce is bubbling in center, feta is well browned on top, and tomato sauce is caramelizing at edges of skillet, 35 to 40 minutes. If not flambéing, serve immediately with crusty bread.
- If flambéing, transfer skillet to wire rack and drizzle 2 tablespoons ouzo over top. Wave lit match over skillet until ouzo ignites. When flames subside (15 to 30 seconds), serve immediately with crusty bread.
Time
1¾ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
This mostly make-ahead recipe was inspired by shrimp saganaki, a Greek dish of shrimp stewed in a tomato sauce infused with red pepper flakes and oregano and dotted with chunks of sheep’s milk feta. Swapping the shrimp for eggplant made our version vegetarian and hearty enough for a main course. Roasting the eggplant slices allowed us to skip the salting and draining step, since the eggplants’ excess moisture evaporated in the oven. Baking the lightly browned eggplant slices in the tomato sauce made them melt-in-your-mouth tender. We sliced the eggplants at an angle, which cut across their fibers so you don’t get any stringy bits when it’s time to eat. You can prep and cook the eggplant and tomato sauce up to 3 days ahead, if you want, so all you have to do come dinner time is layer and bake.
Before You Begin
We developed this recipe with Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton kosher salt, which is denser, use only 1½ teaspoons in step 1. Before flambéing, make sure to roll up long shirt sleeves, tie back long hair, turn off the exhaust fan (otherwise the fan may pull the flames up), and turn off any lit burners (this is critical if you have a gas stove). If flambéing, do not use a nonstick skillet; the heat produced by flambéing (igniting) the contents of the skillet can damage nonstick coatings.
Instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over 2 rimmed baking sheets (1 tablespoon per sheet), then use pastry brush to evenly coat the sheets.
- Peel 2½ pounds eggplant and slice on bias into ½-inch-thick planks. Arrange eggplant slices in even layer over sheets, then brush eggplant evenly with ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle eggplant with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper.
- Bake until slices are golden brown on bottom and tender throughout, about 30 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 finely chopped onion and cook until softened and beginning to caramelize at edges, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in ½ cup dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until mostly evaporated, about 1 minute.
- Stir in 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes and ½ teaspoon sugar, increase heat to high, and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside about two-thirds of sauce and spread remaining sauce in even layer in skillet.
- Remove sheets from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Let eggplant cool for 5 minutes. Using thin metal spatula, flip each slice and let cool completely on sheets.
- Arrange one-third of cooled eggplant slices in skillet in single layer, spooning some tomato sauce in skillet over eggplant and spreading to cover. Using remaining eggplant slices and reserved sauce, repeat layering 2 more times to make 3 layers. Sprinkle 8 ounces feta evenly over top layer.
- Transfer skillet to upper rack in oven and bake until sauce is bubbling in center, feta is well browned on top, and tomato sauce is caramelizing at edges of skillet, 35 to 40 minutes. If not flambéing, serve immediately with crusty bread.
- If flambéing, transfer skillet to wire rack and drizzle 2 tablespoons ouzo over top. Wave lit match over skillet until ouzo ignites. When flames subside (15 to 30 seconds), serve immediately with crusty bread.
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