This is actually the very first time I’m featuring an eggplant recipe.

Mostly due to the fact that I kind of strongly disliked (okay, hated) eggplant for the longest time.

It does have the potential to be rather unappetizing, to say the least.

I mean, cold, bitter slabs of mush anyone?

But after tasting eggplant in several Indian dishes I was hooked.

All of the spices (and actual spiciness) definitely helped out.

I did make bhartha (an Indian eggplant dish) based on this recipe, but the required effort is a bit much for a weeknight meal when all I really want to do is faceplant onto my couch.

That’s mostly my own fault (the whole too much effort part) because I did some ingredient swapping plus added more ingredients than the recipe calls for.

Oops.

I then tried eggplant in a few Italian dishes (hello cheese!) and realized I had to whip up a simple Italian inspired dish in my very own kitchen.

You have a couple options with this recipe right here.

To make it a complete meal, stir in some creamy cannellini beans for a bit of protein.

If you’re a cheese fiend like myself, sprinkle (or dump) freshly grated Parmesan right on top.

And if you know that all Italian food has to contain a heavy dosage of garlic, be sure to add some of that stuff to your simple sauce.

I do love the taste of garlic, although my tummy does not appreciate its presence, therefore sadly, no garlic for me.

Before I send you off to roast up a batch of eggplant yourself, let’s dive into this eggplant situation a little further.

Tender roasted eggplant is briefly simmered in a simple tomato sauce containing a splash of extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, spicy red pepper flakes, fresh ground black pepper, salt, and crushed tomatoes, of course. Creamy cannellini beans, fresh Italian parsley, and fresh basil add more substance (the beans) and flavor (the herbs), while grated Parmesan is the icing on the cake.

P.S. Feel free to leave the skin on. A small, young eggplant’s skin is perfectly edible… and the whole salting part is optional. If you have a petite youngin, all of those bitter and mushy problems really shouldn’t be an issue.

P.P.S. Serve this dish with hearty slices of rustic bread, your favorite pasta, or simply spoon it straight into your mouth.

P.P.P.S. If you want to try your hand at bhartha, I recommend using fresh ginger instead of ground, decreasing the cumin and curry to 1/2 teaspoon each, adding 1/2 teaspoon garam masala plus a can of chickpeas, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a handful of fresh cilantro. Serve with a dollop of nonfat plain yogurt… soo maybe I’ll just include my version of the recipe on the blog sometime because all of that nonsense above is a tad confusing.