balsamic and olive oil roasted eggplant
Eggplants come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They have crazy names from Chinese, to fairytale, to Italian to barbarella. In the picture below, I was at the farm at Spring Island in Okatie, South Carolina. I saw a huge barbarella eggplant and had to pick it. That was quite the workout! Large eggplants often have more seeds and are more bitter. My favorite type of eggplants are Chinese and fairytale eggplants. Fairytale are super mini while Chinese eggplants are longer with super thin skin and little seeds. Neither require peeling, due to their thin skin. Olinda olive oil is my absolute favorite olive oil and is absorbed into the balsamic and olive oil roasted eggplant. Check out my recipe below! You may serve the roasted eggplant atop whipped ricotta or with pesto, just to name a few ideas.
5-6 Chinese eggplants
Balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds, I love to cut them slightly on the diagonal. Place the eggplant in a bowl along with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar salt, and pepper. Gently toss the ingredients to thoroughly coat the eggplant. Cover two baking sheets with foil, then spread the eggplant out evenly. Roast the eggplant, turning the pan halfway, until the eggplant is soft and golden brown, about 30 minutes. A little caramelization goes a long way. Remove the eggplant from the oven and serve hot!
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