Eggplants in tomato garlic sauce

This is a favorite  recipe that’s very popular during the summer months in the Balkans. It is traditionally made by frying the eggplant pieces and serving them with the sauce on the side.  My version is more of a skillet dish, with layers of eggplant smothered in tomato garlic sauce, and lots of feta cheese right before serving.

Cooking the eggplant right is a tricky business.  For one thing, you need to get the fat right.  I always cringe when I see a recipe that requires frying the eggplant, as I know what a thirsty sponge the eggplant is.  No matter how much oil you put on it, it soaks it all up!  On the other hand, the eggplant just begs to be drenched in fat – that’s what creates its silky smooth velvety taste.   So the question is how much fat is the right amount that will produce soft texture and sublime taste, without compromising your waistline in the process.

Instead of frying the eggplant, I found that when I roast it in the oven, and cover it with foil for the first 30 minutes it does the trick.  And I use probably 1/4 of the fat that it would normally require.

Then there is the question of whether to salt  the eggplant.  Salting the eggplant serves two purposes – it extracts the bitter juices and makes for a sweeter taste, but also it prevents the flesh from soaking too much oil.  The bitter taste is more pronounced in the older/bigger eggplants so you don’t always need to salt.  A good rule of thumb – if the seeds are darker when you cut the eggplant, then salt it.  If the flesh is white and firm, you can skip this step.

For this recipe, I am making my own tomato sauce using sweet fresh tomatoes, and let me tell you – this is the best and easiest tomato sauce you’ll ever make.  I can hardly call it a recipe since it doesn’t have anything other than tomatoes and garlic.   It’s rather a technique.  The trick is to add the garlic at the very last moment.   Almost all tomato sauce recipes require that you cook the garlic first creates a different flavor.   By adding the garlic at the end, without cooking it, you preserve its fresh and pungent taste.

For the tomato sauce you will need:

2 pounds San Marzano or Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil, plus 2 tbs more
salt
3-4 crushed garlic cloves

To make the sauce:

1. Cut tomatoes in halves and pulse a few times in a food processor to get a chunky sauce consistency.
2. Place in a pot with 1/4 cup of olive oil and salt, and turn to boil. Reduce heat and cook until the sauce thickens, while stirring occasionally (about 30-40 minutes)
3. When almost all the moisture evaporates, and the sauce begins to slightly stick to the bottom, add the remaining 2 tbs of olive oil and cook a few more minutes
4. Turn the heat off, and add the crushed garlic cloves, plus more salt.

I usually make a big batch of the sauce in advance, and freeze for later use.   You can use it as you would use any other tomato sauce – on pizza, pasta, served with roasted green peppers, or eggs, etc.

Once the eggplants are roasted and the sauce is done, it’s  a matter of minutes to put this dish together.  Simply layer tomato sauce and eggplants alternating the two.  Put back in the oven for 5 more minutes.   Then comes the hardest part – you really need to wait till it cools down to a room temperature.  Resist the temptation and put it in the fridge for awhile.  Trust me on this!  You will be rewarded with the most delicious, melt-in-your-mouth  eggplant tomato goodness.  I love the simplicity of this dish – how can only two ingredients taste so good!  But they do.  They even taste better the next day.  Oh, and put some feta cheese on top, and some fresh parsley.

5 from 2 votes

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Eggplants in tomato garlic sauce

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

50 mins

Total Time

1 hr 5 mins

 

Course: Main Dish

Servings: 2

Author: Viktoria

Ingredients

• 2 eggplants
• 3-4 cups of homemade tomato garlic sauce
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• a handful of parsley
• 150 g feta cheese optional
• For the tomato garlic sauce:
• 2 pounds San Marzano or Roma tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 tbs more
• 3-4 crushed garlic cloves
• salt

Instructions

1. Make the tomato garlic sauce (can be made in advance):
2. Cut tomatoes in halves and pulse a few times in a food processor to get a chunky sauce consistency.
3. Place in a pot with 1/4 cup of olive oil and salt, and turn to boil. Reduce heat and cook until the sauce thickens, while stirring occasionally (about 30-40 minutes)
4. When almost all the moisture evaporates, and the sauce begins to slightly stick to the bottom, add the remaining 2 tbs of olive oil and cook a few more minutes
5. Turn the heat off, and add the crushed garlic cloves, plus more salt.
6. Meanwhile, cut eggplants lengthwise in 1/4 inch thick slices - about 7-8 pieces from each eggplant. Brush both sides of each piece with olive oil and salt. Use all the 1/2 cup oil for both eggplants.
7. Place slices on a baking sheet, cover with aluminum foil and roast at 450 for 25-30 min
8. After 30 minutes, remove foil and roast for additional 5-10 min until a nice golden crust forms.
9. Assemble the dish:
10. In a skillet, or baking dish, start alternating layers of tomato sauce and a layers of eggplants, until you finish them.
11. Put in the oven for 5-10 more minutes.
12. Cool to a room temperature, sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve with lots of feta and a good crusty bread.

Recipe Notes

Try to use a good sweet tomato variety for the sauce. If the tomatoes are a bit sour, add a teaspoon of sugar to the sauce.