Peperonata (or Italian Eggplant)
1 large eggplant, peeled and diced
salt, as needed
extra virgin olive oil, as needed
2 large bell peppers, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (15 ounce) can) diced tomatoes
1. Generously salt the eggplant to remove bitterness and let sit for 20-30 minutes or until the eggplant sweats. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry to remove extra moisture.
2. Put a generous amount of oil in your skillet and turn the heat up to medium high. Put in your eggplant and stirfry it, keeping it moving until it starts to get soft.
3. Add the bell pepper. When the pepper starts to go a bit soft, add garlic, stirring constantly. Add tomatoes.
4. Lower the heat to simmering, cover and cook an additional 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Before serving, give it a quick stir to blend in the flavors one last time.
This recipe freezes great, and you can eat it hot or cold as a dip. My favorite way is to buy a nice loaf of French bread, hollow out the center, and fill it with the peperonata. What a great way to prepare for a picnic!
SO HOW'D IT GO?
I made this dish for family dinner at the folks' house for the holidays. The verdict: It was a more than sufficient, even an envious, counter to Mom's traditional (so so so not vegan) lasagna! That I was able to cook it on a range shared with two parents and a sibling speaks volumes of its simplicity. Try it!
Added fresh basil, loads of garlic, and some other veg to the recipe. Sure the other veg probably make it something other than a traditional Peperonata, but... delicious.
Good to serve with green beans or maybe some greens, salad; some fresh pasta with olive oil/garlic/red pepper flakes; and a light lemon cookie for dessert... and sparkling cider?
Peperonata FTW!
Very delicious, simple, inexpensive and filling! Eggplant was not bitter at all and had a great texture. I added 3 teaspoons of red pepper and 2 teaspoons basil during cooking for extra flavor. This was my first time making eggplant. Yay me!
This was really good! I added quite a bit of minced garlic and fresh herbs to jazz it up a bit. I also served it over quinoa cooked with a veggie bouillon cube. Yum!
;)b This was extremely yummy! I placed it on a bed of couscous cooked in veggie broth and it made a great brown bagged lunch for work! Thanks!
I was liking this as well as many others. Simple, easy to make and tasted delicious. I also added some organic herbs to bring out the taste of tomato.
This recipe is AMAZING! Im a college student so I 1)dont have alot of money to throw around. and 2) have zero time. I forget to eat sometimes. This is so cheap and simple and it stores good for lunches and stuff. Thanks much for sharing it.
I've never cooked eggplant (or even eaten it for that matter) but I took a chance and I think it came out very good! It wasn't bitter, and I thought all the ingredients really complimented each other well. I ate it with a thick slice of homemade herby bread that I toasted. YUM!!
I just made this & am enjoying some as I type. I used fresh tomatoes from the garden & wasn't sure how many would be equivalent to a can. I ended up using 7 nice sized fresh tomatoes, which might have been too many because it turned out on the soupy side but it tastes awesome.