Simmered Eggplant And Tomato Recipes

LONG-SIMMERED EGGPLANT STUFFED WITH FARRO OR SPELT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment and brush with olive oil. Slit eggplants down the middle, being careful not to cut through the skin. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size, until outer skin begins to shrivel. Remove from oven and transfer, cut side down, to a colander set in the sink. Allow to drain for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large, lidded skillet and add onions. Cook, stirring often, until very tender, about 8 minutes, and add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. Add tomatoes, herbs, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon of the sugar and the cooked farro or spelt. Transfer to a bowl. Taste and adjust salt.
• Turn eggplants over and place in the pan, cut side up. Season with salt. Gently pull apart at the slit and fill with the onion, tomato and farro mix. Spoon any mix that couldn't fit inside the eggplant over the top. Mix remaining olive oil, remaining sugar, water and lemon juice. Drizzle over and around the eggplants. Cover the pan and place over low heat. Cook gently for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, basting from time to time with the liquid in the pan, and adding water to the pan if it becomes too dry (this shouldn't happen; in my experience, the eggplant releases water as it simmers). By the end of cooking, the eggplants should have collapsed significantly and the liquid in the pan should be syrupy or even slightly caramelized. Spoon this over the eggplant. Allow to cool in pan, sprinkle with parsley and serve at room temperature.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spread out eggplant cubes and peppers on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 3 tablespoons oil and season well with salt. Roast, turning everything, until eggplant and peppers are very soft and deeply golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in well-salted boiling water until about 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain.
• Using the large holes of a box grater, grate tomatoes over a large skillet so the pulp falls into the skillet. To do this, hold on to the curved side of the tomato in your hand and slide the cut, flat side across the holes. Stop grating just before you reach the skin.
• Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan with the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer until tomato pulp is reduced by half, then season to taste with salt.
• Add the pasta, capers and butter, if using, to the pan with the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, tossing until butter melts and pasta finishes cooking, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and toss in eggplant and cheese, if using.
• Serve pasta drizzled with a little more oil and the herbs.

EGGPLANT WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Trim off each end of eggplant. Cut eggplant lengthwise in half. Place each half, cut side down, on flat surface and cut crosswise into half-moon shapes, each about one-third-inch thick. There should be a total of about 34 slices.
• Trim off ends of tomatoes and cut away the cores. Cut tomatoes crosswise into slices, each about one-inch thick. There should be about 32 pieces. Alternate tomato slices with eggplant slices and arrange them compactly in a baking dish.
• Combine garlic, rosemary and oregano and sprinkle over layered eggplant. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dribble oil over all.
• Place dish in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Baste the layered eggplant with any juices that have accumulated around it. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

SIMMERED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
• Saute onion until tender; add garlic.
• Add chunks of eggplant and stir until you can see all of the oil is absorbed on the bottom of the pan. Add remaining oil and stir.
• Season with salt, pepper, and flakes. Cover until eggplant becomes slightly translucent.
• Add both cans of tomatoes with liquid and stir, mixing all ingredients well.
• Cover pan and simmer on high so the mixture bubbles.
• Stir again and reduce to low heat.
• Cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. (depending on your tender preference.).
• Serve as a main dish plain or over a grain.