Grilled eggplant is one of my most favorite side dishes. I first had this on a trip to Rome several years ago. My husband and I were wandering around Trastevere and ate lunch at this small, hole in the wall type restaurant. Btw-we went to many “hole in the wall” restaurants in Italy, and they are anything but “hole in the wall.” Honestly, I don’t think we had one bade meal. Anyhow, at this particular restaurant we had marinated, grilled eggplant. It was the die for. All fresh ingredients. Nothing fancy. Some garlic, fresh herbs, delicious eggplant all bathed in extra virgin olive oil and then perfectly grilled. There isn’t anything better in life.
The best thing about this recipe is that it includes all fresh ingredients. This is definitely a figure friendly (vegan and gluten free) dish. I like to serve it alongside grilled sausage (not vegan). The flavors of the eggplant really complement the sausage.
Now, something you will need (unless you have amazing and precise knife skills) is a mandoline. I use the OXO Good Grips mandoline slicer
Also, you will need a large ziplock bag to put the eggplant in. You neatly place the eggplant in the bag and then put the marinade (olive oil, garlic, basil, parsley, salt and pepper) on top.
Finally, drizzle the eggplant with some delicious balsamic vinegar or homemade pesto. Pair with a crisp white wine.
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- 4-5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ? cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1-2 tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Rinse the eggplant and cut off the top and the bottom rounds,
- Use a mandoline to slice the eggplant lengthwise. Use the notch on the mandolin that is between ¼” and ?”.
- Neatly arrange the sliced eggplant in a large plastic baggie (see photo above).
- In a bowl combine the garlic, salt, pepper, basil, parsley and ? cup of extra virgin olive oil.
- Add the marinade to the bag with the eggplant. Use your hand to work the ingredients so each piece of eggplant is coated.
- Drizzle the extra 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in the bag and use your hands to continue coating the eggplant. The eggplant tends to absorb the oil, so if it is looking a little dry, add more olive oil.
- Seal the bag and place the eggplant in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 6.
- Fire up the grill and heat to at least 400 degrees.
- Lay each slice of eggplant on the grill. Cook for about five minutes on each side, but keep checking to make sure it does not burn. You may have to adjust the cook time depending on how hot the grill gets.
- You may serve immediately, or at room temperature.
- Optional: drizzle with homemade pesto or balsamic vinegar.
