These roasted baby eggplants with Mediterranean herbs are a great addition to any festive meal. They are very tender and if you use small ones like these you will enjoy a deliciously sweet and roasted dish that is so easy to make that I am almost ashamed to call it a recipe.
Ingredients : metric ( imperial )
Serves 4
- 12 baby eggplants
- 1 garlic bulb
- 4 shallots
- 2 red onions
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas6
Cut the eggplants lengthwise in half. Peel the shallots and quarter them lengthwise. Peel the red onions and cut them in half, then cut each half into 8. Split the garlic bulb into single cloves but don't peel them. Crush them slightly with the back of your knife.
Place the vegetables on a baking tray. Pour over the oil, add the seasoning and mix carefully. Try to spread them so they don't overlap and bake them for about 30 minutes. Take them out and cover with foil and return to oven for another 15-30 minutes depending on their size.
Serve warm along side other dishes or cold as antipasti. Roasted baby eggplants go great with any type of pasta, rice and in salads.
susan
You mention red onions in the directions, but not in the ingredients list.
Gloria
My mistake! Thank you for pointing it out. =)
susan
An hour was way too long, Everything ended up totally charred.
Gloria
It is how I make mine and it works out perfectly each time. =)
Gloria
Hello once more to you as well Susan. I wrote it already but I will paste it once more as reply to you.
Edit: I just went into the kitchen to cook this dish again so I can take step by step pictures and as I just read this again I realized I forgot a vital part. I cover the eggplants half way through with foil. This was my second recipe that I posted and I frankly was not careful enough when writing it down. I made it so many times that it was a step that I do automatically and didn’t even think about writing it down. I do apologize for the lack of experience I had then with writing recipes down. Nobody ever pointed it out to me until two days ago. I feel rather embarrassed now but I will keep this post and comments and see it as a learning curve. I will edit the recipe this very moment. Thank you so much for the feedback! And I am so sorry you wasted ingredients because I forgot to mention I cover the eggplants half way. I really am.
Denise Romero
60 minutes at 200 degrees gave me hard, undercooked eggplants. The seasoning & aromatic vegetables were wasted, bc the end result was barely edible. Very disapointing.
Gloria
I am sorry that was the result for you. It always works for me this way, this is how my father always made them. I cook them on 200C without fan assist and on the center rack of the oven. They always come out perfectly. I tend to make a lot more than I need because they're lovely when served cold the following days and I add them to everything. They turn out exactly like in the picture, soft and cooked in the center.
Edit: I just went into the kitchen to cook this dish again so I can take step by step pictures and as I just read this again I realized I forgot a vital part. I cover the eggplants half way through with foil. This was my second recipe that I posted and I frankly was not careful enough when writing it down. I made it so many times that it was a step that I do automatically and didn't even think about writing it down. I do apologize for the lack of experience I had then with writing recipes down. Nobody ever pointed it out to me until two days ago. I feel rather embarrassed now but I will keep this post and comments and see it as a learning curve. I will edit the recipe this very moment. Thank you so much for the feedback! And I am so sorry you wasted ingredients because I forgot to mention I cover the eggplants half way. I really am.
Jennifer
Denise, 200 degrees Celsius converts to almost 400 degrees Fahrenheit. At 400 degrees Farenheit, (or 200 degrees Celsius) for 60 minutes was perfect for roasting. I'm wondering if you didn't convert to Fahrenheit? Also, covering and stirring as needed is always a good idea when roasting. I would highly suggest trying again, using the various tips suggested. Great dish, Gloria! Thank you.
Gloria
Thanks for adding the suggestions. - Love, G.
Kate
This recipe sounded delicious, but I didn't want my oven on for an hour on a very hot summer day. I used a skillet on the stovetop. I seared the eggplant for two or three minutes, then turned the flame way down and let it cook slowly to golden, velvety perfection. I was watchful and stirred several times during the 20 - 30 minutes I let it cook. Oh, I added some cloves of garlic, minced, toward the end, so it wouldn't burn. Absolutely delicious. Thanks for posting the recipe.
Gloria
Hello Kate, that is a very interesting approach. Will try this myself. - Love, G.
Anonymous
very good!
Gina
I made this the other day with baby eggplants and tomatoes from the garden. I cooked them for 40 mins. They were perfect. Delicious with flat bread crackers fresh Parmesan shreds and a good Cabernet. As much as I always like the idea of roasted garlic, I never like the taste so just add the garlic the last ten minutes. I will make again and again. Thanks.
Gloria
Glad you liked them! They're a staple here and I make them almost weekly. - Love, G.
Daniela
I made them Friday and came out delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe