Amazing Roasted Eggplant

Light, healthy and ridiculously simple to make, this Roasted Eggplant makes the perfect side dish that accompanies just about any main dish. Make this once and you will want to make it over and over again.

Eggplant is one of those vegetables that you have to cook properly or it can taste really gross (in my opinion).   This dish is simple and can be prepared even on busy weekday nights.  

This is by far my favorite way to eat eggplant.  I may or may have not eaten almost an entire eggplant this way in one sitting.

I think the most important part of properly cooking eggplant to get the best texture and cut down on the bitter taste is to let it "sweat". Basically what that means is you sprinkle salt on both sides of the eggplant and let it sit for 30 minutes in a colander which will draw out any moisture.

This also means that by removing any unnecessary moisture you will need less oil to cook. 

For me it is a total game changer on how I make eggplant. Every single time.

And its easy enough to do, my only problem has been remembering to actually do it.

Allowing your eggplant to sweat is crucial for the this dish because it removes some of the moisture which really improves the texture (otherwise it gets spongy.) I didn't add Parmesan to my eggplant, but I have a feeling some of you might like that.

You can easily add whatever seasonings you like to this side dish, it is completely customizable and easy to make your own.  I personally think rosemary is an absolute must, but that's just my opinion.

Another must to have in this recipe is garlic. It offsets any remaining bitterness that the eggplant has it complements it perfectly.

But then again, I am a true garlic lover and add it to just about everything.

If you saw just how much garlic powder my kids put on their pizza, you would be absolutely amazed. I think they all got the love of garlic gene from both me and my husband.

Please come back and let me know if you made this, with or without any substitutions. You guys always have the best ideas and suggestions and I always love to hear from you.

Amazing Roasted Eggplant

Healthy, Vegetarian, Side, Side dish, Vegan, Simple, Clean, Meatless monday, Local, Farmers market

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Servings: 4

Author: Lauren Kelly

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 large eggplant
• ▢ salt to let eggplant sweat
• ▢ 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ▢ 1-2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ▢ freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Slice eggplant in half lengthwise, then cut into quarters and chop eggplant into cubes.
• Place eggplant in colander and sprinkle with salt. Let sit to let eggplant sweat for half hour. Rinse them in colander and place in between two paper towels to pat dry.
• Place the eggplant in a large resealable bag and pour the oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary in the bag. Shake it up to evenly coat.
• Lay eggplant onto baking sheet and roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes until soft.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle with lemon juice and Parmesan cheese if desired.
• Serve immediately.

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If you make this Amazing Roasted Eggplant or any of the other recipes I have shared with you, please some back and let me know. You guys know that I love to hear from you!

I hope you enjoy this! Thank you for stopping by and please come back soon!