Thick cubes of Italian eggplant and red and green sweet Italian roasting peppers develop browned edges in a hot oven. A quick garlic-tomato sauce and grated Parmesan turn them into a generous, vegetable-first dish.
Serves: 4 as a vegetable side, or 2 as a light main Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 35–40 minutes Total: 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1½ lb (680 g) Italian eggplant, stems removed, skin left on, cut into thick 1–1¼-inch cubes
- 1 lb (450 g) sweet Italian roasting peppers, a mix of red and green if available, stems and seeds removed, cut into roughly 1-inch pieces
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided: 3 tablespoons for the eggplant, 1 tablespoon for the peppers and 1 tablespoon for the sauce
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided: ¼ teaspoon each for the eggplant, peppers and sauce
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, for the roasting vegetables
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 can (14–15 oz / about 400 g) crushed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup (about 40 g) freshly grated Parmesan; optionally replace with ½ cup grated plant-based Parmesan for a vegan dish
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn, optional
Method
- Heat the oven and prepare two sheets. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C), with racks in the upper and lower thirds. On one large rimmed baking sheet, toss the eggplant with 3 tablespoons olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. On a second sheet, toss the peppers with 1 tablespoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Divide the ¼ teaspoon pepper between the sheets. Spread everything in single layers without crowding.
- Roast the vegetables. Roast for 30–40 minutes, turning the vegetables and swapping the sheets' rack positions after 15 minutes. Begin checking the peppers at 25 minutes; remove their sheet when they are tender with browned edges, usually at 25–30 minutes. Let the eggplant continue until browned outside and very soft and creamy inside, usually 35–40 minutes.
- Make the tomato sauce while they roast. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds, stirring, until fragrant but not browned. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened. Lower the heat if it splatters, and keep warm.
- Finish with Parmesan. Spoon the warm tomato sauce onto a platter or into a shallow serving dish. Pile the roasted eggplant and peppers over it, gently folding some of the sauce through the vegetables. Sprinkle with the Parmesan or plant-based alternative and the optional basil. Serve hot, with bread or cooked pasta alongside if desired; neither is needed for the recipe itself.
Short on time?
Replace the crushed tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and the oil and salt allotted to the sauce with one 12 oz jar of Tortello Pomodoro sauce. Warm it gently, then use it in the finishing step.
Cook's note
Use sweet roasting peppers, not hot peppers. The eggplant is ready when a fork meets almost no resistance; browned edges alone do not mean the centers are cooked. Keeping the vegetables on separate sheets makes it easy to remove the peppers first.
