Roasted Eggplant

There are many ways of roasting eggplants, and in this blog post, we’ll share with your our favorite roasted eggplant recipe, plus a few variations so that you’ll find one for any occasion.

You can make the base recipe in 30 minutes with simple ingredients, enjoy it as a side dish, or use it to make other delicious recipes.

Roasting in the oven at a high temperature will soften, brown, and slightly caramelize the eggplant, packing it with flavor.

We then recommend drizzling the roasted eggplant with a simple chimichurri sauce made with olive oil, minced garlic, vinegar, and fresh parsley.

The dressing’s tangy, garlicky, and herby flavors will infuse the warm eggplant slices, making them irresistible.

We’ll also show you how to cut eggplant for roasting (slices, cubes, boats, and discs) and which is best for which recipe.

Finally, we’ll give you some ideas for what to do with roasted eggplant and share our favorite recipes that you can make with this delicious Mediterranean vegetable.

Eggplant: we generally roast globe eggplants or Italian eggplants (dark purple, almost black, round, and thick) because that’s the most common eggplant in our local supermarket.

However, you can roast most eggplant varieties, including graffiti eggplants (bright purple with white stripes), Japanese and Chinese eggplants (long, thin, and purple), fairy tale eggplants (small, bright purple, and white), and white eggplant (the one that looks like an egg).

Roast eggplants with the peel on. Eggplant peel is nutritious and gives the baked eggplant structure, preventing it from collapsing in the oven.

Olive oil: try to use extra virgin olive oil for roasting as it has a richer and fruitier flavor than regular olive oil.

It’s also richer in polyphenols, making it stable at high roasting temperatures and healthier than most other oils.

Salt & pepper: we recommend sea salt or kosher salt and a twist or two of freshly ground black pepper.

Seasoning

Extra virgin olive oil: as usual, we recommend sticking to extra virgin for the best flavor.

Red wine vinegar: substitute white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.

Parsley: we recommend flat-leaf parsley with eggplant. Substitute fresh mint or basil.

Dried oregano: substitute with dried thyme or Italian seasoning.

Salt & Red pepper flakes

We mix these ingredients to make our quick chimichurri sauce with a tangy, zesty, herby, and garlicky flavor that will make your roasted eggplant irresistible.

Alternatively, you can try our tahini sauce with a squeeze of lemon juice and parsley on top, chili oil, Italian salsa verde, or our vegan green goddess dressing.

Preheat the oven to 430°F or 220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Wash and dry the eggplant, remove the stem, and cut it into 1/3 inch (1 cm) discs.

Arrange the discs on the baking sheet, brush or drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil, and season with salt and black pepper.

Roast eggplant for 20 minutes, flip and roast for 5 to 10 more minutes, then transfer onto a serving platter.

Eggplant discs should be golden, slightly browned, tender, and not shriveled and dry.

To make the dressing, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced garlic, finely chopped parsley, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt.

Drizzle the dressing on top of the eggplants while they are still hot.

Ideally, set aside 10 to 15 minutes before serving to allow the condiment to infuse the eggplants.

Baked eggplants with a crunchy top

Follow the same instructions as above. Then, bake the eggplants for 18 minutes, take them out of the oven, and apply the breadcrumbs mixture on top.

For the breadcrumbs mixture, you’ll need the following:

• ½ cup (70 grams) panko breadcrumbs (or gluten-free breadcrumbs)
• 2 tablespoons (30 grams) extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 minced clove)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ paprika
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, until the eggplants are fully cooked, and the breading mixture is golden brown and crunchy.

Arrange onto a serving platter and sprinkle with freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley and enjoy these crispy baked eggplant slices.

Diced roasted eggplants

Preheat the oven to 430°F or 220°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Wash and dry the eggplant and remove its stem. Dice eggplant into 3/4 inch (2cm) cubes.

Transfer onto a baking tray, arrange on a single layer without overlapping, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to spread seasoning.

Tip: Optionally, add some fresh thyme, oregano, or dried herbs.

Roast eggplant for 20 minutes, flip with a spatula, and roast for 5 to 10 more minutes, then transfer onto a serving platter.

Drizzle with the same chimichurri seasoning as above.

Tip: poke them with a fork to check for doneness. It should slide in easily.

Sliced roasted eggplants

Preheat the oven to 430°F or 220°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Wash and dry the eggplant and remove its stem. Cut eggplant into 1/3 inch (1 cm) slices.

Transfer onto a baking tray, drizzle or brush with extra virgin olive oil, and add salt and pepper.

Roast for 20 minutes, turn and roast for 5 to 10 more minutes, then transfer onto a serving platter.

Drizzle with the same seasoning as above.

Tip: poke them with a fork to check for doneness. It should slide in easily.

Roasted eggplant boats

Preheat the oven to 430°F or 220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash and dry the eggplants and cut them in half lengthwise.

Score the flesh of the eggplant with the tip of a knife and season with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper, including between the cuts.

Arrange on the baking sheet; cut side down. Bake at 430°F or 220°C for 50 minutes until thoroughly cooked and tender.

You can make the same recipe in the air-fryer at 400°F or 200°C for 15 to 20 minutes.

Arrange on a plate and serve with the same seasoning as above, drizzled inside the cuts, and optionally with tahini sauce, fresh lemon juice, and chopped flat-leaf parsley.

Alternatively, check out our easy stuffed eggplant recipe for many more ideas.

Roasted eggplant can quickly help you build a healthy and hearty dinner. Here are some of our favorite pairings:

• As a side dish: with pan-fried tofu or mushroom tofu.
• In salads: such as warm couscous salad, chickpea salad, and rice salad.
• As a topping on pasta: try it with easy pasta recipes such as penne arrabbiata or aglio e olio.
• On a platter: with other grilled veggies like roasted zucchini, roasted bell peppers, and asparagus.

Eggplant pizza

Perfect as a fun appetizer and finger food, kids love these! Make them with roasted eggplant slices topped with marinara sauce or a simple pizza sauce, mozzarella, or vegan cheese, and bake in the oven for five more minutes until the cheese melts.

Here’s the full recipe for our eggplant pizza.

Pasta alla norma

This Italian pasta dish with roasted eggplant cubes is one of the tastiest dishes ever.

The eggplant is coated in a tasty tomato sauce and seasoned with fresh basil and red pepper flakes. It’s easy to make and perfect for a weeknight meal.

Here’s the full recipe for our eggplant pasta alla norma.

Eggplant salad

Eggplant salad is an easy and delicious recipe made with roasted or air-fried eggplant, chickpeas, and other crunchy seasonal vegetables.

It’s perfect as a make-ahead meal for potlucks and picnics. You can serve it as a side dish or add pasta and transform it into a light, healthy, and delicious main dish.

Here’s our eggplant salad recipe.

Eggplant curry

Buttery-tender roasted eggplant cubes in a creamy and tasty curry sauce are a winning combination.

Serve it with white rice or naan bread for a delicious Indian–inspired dinner; it takes about 30 minutes to make.

Here’s our eggplant curry recipe.

Stuffed eggplants

A no-fuss recipe for stuffing roasted eggplant boats, perfect for summer and early autumn dinners.

You can make this one with a melty and cheesy topping, a fresh topping of diced tomatoes and basil pesto, or a fresh and delicious couscous salad drizzled with tahini sauce. Either way, it’ll be delicious.

Here’s the full recipe for our easy stuffed eggplant boats.

Eggplant dip

Probably the best dip ever; baba ganoush or eggplant dip is super easy to make from roasted eggplant boats. Enjoy this with warm pita bread, veggies, and other Middle Eastern appetizers.

Here’s the full recipe for eggplant dip.

Caponata

A Sicilian eggplant salad with a delicious sweet and sour flavor. We make it with roasted eggplant (instead of deep-fried) in less than 45 minutes. It’s tangy, packed with umami and sweet and sour notes. It’s one of the best eggplant dishes you’ll ever try!

Here’s our caponata recipe.

Make ahead: roasted eggplant discs topped with our chimichurri sauce is an excellent recipe to make ahead because you can serve them at room temperature. So go ahead, and make them up to 6 hours before serving time.

Refrigerator: keep leftovers in an airtight container or on the serving platter covered in plastic wrap for 3 days. Take them out of the fridge 15 minutes before eating.

Freezer: let them cool down completely, then arrange the slices on a platter without overlapping and freeze. After a couple of hours, you can transfer the frozen eggplant slices into a freezing bag.

Alternatively, if you don’t have much time or space to do this, you can arrange the baked eggplant slices in a freezing bag, on top of each other, but with a piece of parchment paper between each slice.