Vegetarian Eggplant And Tomato Sauce

Eggplant and Tomato Sauce

Eggplants, also known as aubergines, belong to the nightshade family of plants and are used in many Italian dishes. They are nutrient dense and high in antioxidants. It’s actually a fruit, and great in so many vegetarian dishes like these meatless Eggplant Meatballs, Eggplant Parmesan and Eggplant Rollatini.

Years ago when I worked in Astoria NY in my first job as a graphic designer, we always ordered lunch from a great little Italian restaurant that made the best pasta with tomatoes and eggplant. It was like a marinara sauce, only better because it had little tender pieces of eggplant. Even then I used to go home and recreate my favorite dishes. This takes less than 3o minutes to make, and just 5 ingredients. Because the sauce is made with just a few ingredients it’s important to use good quality extra virgin olive oil (I love Delallo) and tomatoes. Eggplant soaks up a lot of olive oil, so I recommend using the 2 tablespoons suggested, if not more. Totally optional, but fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese on top is a must in my house! You can double this recipes and freeze half. To freeze, let it cool completely then transfer to freezer safe storage bags or containers and freeze up to 3 months.

Tips and Variations

Use this sauce in place of marinara sauce to make baked ziti, it comes out delicious! If you’re not a fan of the skin, you can peel it before cooking. Serve it over pasta, zucchini noodles or eat it as a side dish.