Easy Roasted Eggplant

Easy roasted eggplant is a great addition to any meal. Bake in the oven and use in your favorite lunch bowl, serve over pasta or as a standalone side dish. Roasted eggplant is easy to reheat and can be served warmed or at room temperature.

We have been on a roasting streak in the Peel house lately.  Maybe it is the colder weather. You can check out our most recent slow roasted tomatoes and our roasted garlic to see what I am talking about.  Serious goodness!

And now we have moved on to eggplant. Not sure how make eggplant quickly? Does your eggplant ever turn out rubbery? What about an odd bitter flavor? Then this recipe is for you!

We struggled to make eggplant for years. The I realized what I was doing wrong. I wasn’t salting to draw out moisture and then when I finally learned that trick I followed conventional wisdom and did it for a full hour. Way too long!

I finally got the hang of it. A little pre-salt goes a long way, the thickness of the slices really matters and temperature is key. Lets get to it!

How to Make Perfectly Roasted Eggplant

• Start by prepping the eggplant. Trim the ends and cut into rounds, between 1/3 – 1/2 inch thick.
• Lay eggplant on a wire rack, generously sprinkle each side with salt.
• Allow the eggplant to sit for 10-30 minutes while the salt pulls out excess moisture.
• Rinse the eggplant and use a towel to gently push out the excess water.

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Alternately you can oil the baking sheet but I find parchment works better.
• Spread out the eggplant on the baking sheet and lightly oil both sides. Sprinkle with black pepper. Do not add additional salt, the initial salting has seeped in and you can always salt to taste later.
• Roast in a 400 F degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Flip halfway through for even caramelization.

How to Use Roasted Eggplant

I used to avoid eggplant. I just wasn’t really sure how to use it outside eggplant parmesan. But now it is a staple in our lives. Here are some of the ways we use it:

• Served with roasted zucchini and topped with feta (optional), toasted pine nuts, and fresh parsley
• Topped with marinara and fresh parsley
• As part of a chicken bowl, sprinkle with zaatar and add fresh tomatoes, olives, and parsley
• As part of a veggie stack with vegan basil pesto
• Rolled with our roasted garlic cashew cream cheese stuffed inside and a fresh tomato sauce drizzled on top
• Serve as a side with a preserved lemon vinaigrette and sprinkled with microgreens
• Serve with pork tenderloin and carrot-ginger dressing
• In a roasted veggie sandwich

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Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Roasted Eggplant

Easy roasted eggplant is the perfect addition to any meal.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Resting Time30 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: How to cook eggplant, Roasted eggplant

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• kosher salt
• olive oil
• black pepper

Instructions

• Cut off ends of eggplant and slice into 1/3 inch rounds. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet.  Lay the eggplant on the rack. Liberally sprinkle each side of the steaks with the salt and let the eggplant sit for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  
• Rinse the eggplant under cool water and thoroughly pat dry with a towel.
  
• Arrange the eggplant and single layer on the parchment lined baking sheet. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil and a light sprinkle of black pepper.
  
• Roast the eggplant in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip and roast for an additional 10 minutes. Serve as desired.