Eggplant Marinara Flatbread Recipes

EGGPLANT FLATBREAD PIZZAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat; saute eggplant and onion with salt and pepper until eggplant begins to soften, 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic; remove from heat., Place naan on a baking sheet. Spread with ricotta cheese; sprinkle with oregano. Spread with tomato sauce. Top with eggplant mixture and whole basil leaves. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses; drizzle with remaining oil., Bake until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted, 12-15 minutes. If desired, top with sliced basil.

EGGPLANT FLATBREADS

Steps:

• Make the pickled red onion: Combine onion, lemon juice, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Drain.
• Make the flatbreads: Heat broiler with rack 6 inches from heating element. Pierce eggplants all over with a fork. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and broil, flipping once, until charred on both sides, 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut open, then scrape out flesh and discard skin. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups.) Using a fork, mash eggplant, then season with salt and stir in 2 tablespoons oil. Set aside.
• Whisk to combine flour, baking powder, nigella seeds, and 2 teaspoons salt in a medium bowl. Add yogurt and stir until mixture comes together and forms a dough. Knead dough in bowl until soft and sticky, about 1 minute. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into an 11-by-4-inch oval, about 1/8 inch thick.
• Heat a large cast-iron griddle or skillet over medium-high. Brush with 1 tablespoon ghee. Working with 1 oval of dough at a time, brush with ghee, then cook flatbread ghee-side down, turning once, until deep brown, about 2 minutes per side.
• In a small bowl, toss arugula and mint with remaining 2 tablespoons oil; season with salt.
• Make the tahina sauce: Mix tahini, lemon juice, oil, paprika, and cayenne in a small bowl until smooth; season with salt.
• To serve, divide the eggplant mixture among the 4 flatbreads and spread evenly to cover. Top each with arugula mixture and pickled onion. Cut each flatbread crosswise into 8 triangles, drizzle with tahina sauce, and serve.

BAKED EGGPLANT MARINARA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil baking sheet. Sprinkle eggplant rounds with salt and pepper. Place flour and eggs in separate shallow bowls. Mix breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in another shallow bowl. Coat eggplant rounds with flour, then eggs, then breadcrumb mixture, patting to adhere.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 eggplant rounds to skillet. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining oil and eggplant rounds. Spread 2 tablespoons ricotta cheese over each round. Top each with sauce and mozzarella cheese, dividing equally. Bake until rounds are heated through and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.

ROASTED PEPPER AND EGGPLANT MARINARA

Steps:

• Char the skins of sweet and hot peppers to black under a broiler with oven door slightly ajar, to prevent steam build up or place directly over stovetop flame. Cover the charred peppers and cool, peel, and seed. Reserve.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Cut head garlic to expose the cloves, dress in extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Press the garlic into the chopped rosemary and coat the cut cloves. Wrap the garlic up in foil and roast 40 to 45 minutes, until soft but still moist.
• Halve the eggplant lengthwise and brush with extra-virgin olive oil. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper and place cut-side down on baking sheet and roast to very tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool the eggplant until easy to handle, then scoop the flesh away from skins and add to a food processor with roasted garlic and roasted sweet and hot peppers, then puree.
• In saucepan, heat the stock and tomatoes. If the tomatoes are whole, break them up. Stir in the eggplant-pepper mixture and add basil and oregano, salt, and pepper, to taste.
• Simmer sauce to combine flavors then cool and store for make-ahead meal.
• Reheat over medium heat.
• Boil long, curly pasta in salted water to al dente, toss the pasta with sauce and serve with cheese and a sprinkle fresh parsley.

EGGPLANT MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place the eggplant on top. Use a fork to prick the eggplant 4 times, then place the eggplant in the oven and roast it until it has completely collapsed and a paring knife easily slips into the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool the eggplant 20 minutes. Leave the oven on.
• Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh (discard the skin). Place the roasted eggplant in a medium bowl and stir in the egg and beans. Add the garlic, basil, parmesan, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and stir to combine, then mix in the breadcrumbs.
• Again, line the rimmed baking sheet with a clean sheet of foil and lightly mist it with spray. Shape the eggplant mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball (2 tablespoons per ball; you should get about 16). Place them on the prepared baking sheet and lightly mist the top of the balls with spray. Bake the eggplant balls until they are golden brown and firm, about 20 minutes.
• While the meatballs cook, warm the marinara sauce in a small saucepan. Remove the meatballs from the oven, sprinkle with a little extra parmesan and serve with the marinara sauce.