This isn’t a traditional Tuscan way of cooking eggplant, but it has become a household tradition for me, inspired by my love of Middle Eastern flavors. To celebrate the new olive oil harvest, I made this simple, addictive dish—perfect with saffron rice and equally lovely as a pasta condiment.
Slow-roasted eggplant brings a smoky depth that pairs beautifully with the heat of harissa and the earthiness of cumin. Combined with comforting tomato and generous amounts of good olive oil, it’s a crowd-pleaser that can be made a few hours ahead—ideal for entertaining!
The recipe is inspired by Toronto chef Eden Grinshpan from her book Tahini Baby but I’ve adjusted a few elements to suit my own taste.
Ingredients for 6 servings
3 medium eggplants
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp harissa powder (or 1 tbsp of harissa paste)
3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/3 cup tomato paste (from a tube, not from a can)
1 1/2 cup of water
salt and pepper to taste
Instuctions
Preheat oven at 425 F
Trim eggplant ends, “zebra” peel them (peel about half of the skin off) and slice them lenghtwise to obtain 6/8 long spears depending on their size (see pic below). Arrange them on a baking sheet or a large colander, salt them and let them rest for at least 15 min. Pat dry with paper towel.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, arrange eggplants such that they don’t touch each other. Drizzle or brush a generous about of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35/45 min, until soft and golden.
In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet (I like to use a shallow dutch oven) and add the shallots, cumin, paprika, harissa powder and 1 tsp of coarse or kosher salt. Saute’ for 15 min, until shallots are translucent.
Add garlic and tomato paste, cook for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until tomato paste has turned color from bright red to dark, rusty red. Add 1 1/2 cup of water and scrape the bottom of the an with a wooden spoon. Reduce to medium heat and cook, covered, for 20 min.
Add the roasted eggplants, turning them gently to coat all sides. Let them simmer 2-3 minutes.
If you prepare them in advance, turn the heat off and leave partly covered, re-heating for a few minutes just before serving with saffron rice. Alternatively you can use it as a pasta condiment (I’d recommend rigatoni or half rigatoni) or a contorno.
