Spiced Roasted Eggplant—Right Out Of The Oven

I wanted to share this eggplant recipe with you because it is easy to make, delicious, and it is a nice alternative to eggplant paired with tomato sauce recipes. Something a little different, especially when eggplant is in season now.

You can use it as a nice side dish for a dinner, or a vegetarian main dish with seasoned yogurt and chopped herbs, or even drizzled with a creamy whipped goat cheese.

Spiced Roasted Eggplant

By Clare de Boer, Published in The New York Times

Ingredients:

3 small Italian eggplants (1-1/2 pounds)

1/2 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (like Diamond Crystal)

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

1) Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2) Prepare eggplants by slicing off their tops and fine layer of skin from their bottoms. Slice the eggplant into 1-inch-thick rounds and place on the lined pan.

3) Make your spice oil by combining the olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt, and red-pepper flakes in a small bowl. Brush the spiced oil onto the faces of all of the eggplant slices, then flip each one over and repeat on the second side.

4) Roast for 20 minutes, then use a spatula to flip over each round. Roast for another 10- 20 minutes, or until soft, browned, and crisp. It will depend on your individual oven. If you are looking for a little extra color, broil the eggplant, watching carefully, for about a minute. Note: I found my eggplant slices browned beautifully without broiling. Enjoy!

Bon Appétit et Bon Weekend…Bonnie