Prepare eggplants in season by quickly sautéing them with garlic, herbs, and parmesan until they are soft. The best part? The eggplants don’t need to be salted or drained!
Sautéed Eggplant with Garlic and Parmesan
2 Years ago, after gathering a sizable number of eggplants from my garden on a wet night in Georgia, I set out to make the ideal side dish. First i was interested in seeing how little oil I could use since eggplant is such a sponge. And i diced a large eggplant, fried it in a little good olive oil until it was soft, and then lightly browned the edges. Then the flavour was then improved by the addition of fresh herbs, minced garlic for a bite, and a few gratings of parmesan. My go-to summer side dish is this eggplant recipe.
My approach to cooking is to use seasonal, fresh ingredients as little as possible to let their taste come through. This dish does exactly that; it highlights the availability of eggplants by being simple to prepare, requiring few ingredients, and using little to no oil.
Related Eggplant Recipes
Grilled Japanese Eggplant with Tahini Sauce
Due to their spongy structure, eggplants are infamous for soaking up cooking oil. Therefore the decision is made to salt them or not, which is a method for removing moisture and making eggplant less spongy. Compared to what we now get on the market, eggplants used to be more bitter. Years ago, I stopped salting eggplant. I don’t want to add more salt to my diet or wait an extra 30 minutes.
Sautéed Eggplant
With this recipe for sauteed eggplant, a traditional summer vegetable is transformed into a simple side dish that fits with so many other main dishes! When I want to cook eggplant, I’ve usually roasted it or grilled it, but I’ve lately tried with sautéing this vegetable. And you’re going to adore it! Eggplant that has been pan-fried caramelises even more than eggplant that has been baked!
Types of eggplant to use
You can use any variety of eggplant for this dish, with a few limitations. Just be aware that some of them can be too bitter for this particular mixture. If you’re unsure, I suggest conducting a trial run by cooking a slice and tasting it before committing to the entire dish. Make eggplant parmalade out of it instead.
Grocery stores frequently sell ball eggplants. It is a long, bell-shaped piece of dark purple fabric. For this dish, I used that. Farmers’ markets may sell a wide variety of eggplants in the middle of the summer, including Japanese and Chinese eggplants that are bright purple, thin, and curved; Sicilian eggplants that are purple and white with stripes; creamy white aubergines that resemble teardrops; small Thai eggplants that are green; and nearly black Indian eggplants that are the size of a hen’s egg. I would suggest giving the recipe a try with any of these because they are all great.
simple advice
Regardless of size or colour, look for firm, hefty eggplants with smooth, tight skin.
This is a flavorful side dish to go with fried chicken, lamb chops, or pork chops. Want to make it as easy as possible? Pair it with sturdy country bread, pan-simmered Italian sausages, and a straightforward green salad..
Sautéed aubergines with garlic and parmesan
The fruit and vegetable area of the store has fresh bay leaves that are packaged in plastic trays. You truly are a revelation. Once you’ve consumed the entire packet, they may start to dry out a bit, but I guarantee they’re still better than the jar in your pantry—at least for the next ten years.
ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large (approx 1 lb) auberginecut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black peppermore to taste
- 2 fresh bay leaves (see recipe note)
- 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 Garlic cloveschopped
- 1/4 Cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon freshly chopped Parselybasil or chives
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher saltmore to taste
method
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Cooking eggplant:
In a sizable nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. With no salt added, add the aubergines in an equal layer and season with bay leaves, black pepper, and aleppo pepper.
Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally and gently, until the eggplants are tender and golden brown on the edges, about 15 minutes. And if you stir too often or too aggressively, the eggplant will fall apart into a puree. You want the eggplant to hold its shape as much as possible.
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Finish cooking and serving:
Add the garlic and stir for 45 to 60 seconds, or until fragrant.
Turn off the heat under the pan. Add salt, parmesan, and chopped parsley after stirring. Add extra salt and black pepper after tasting and seasoning. Happy eating, everyone!
Up to five days’ worth of leftovers can be stored in a firmly closed container in the fridge. It becomes a fantastic cold spread for sandwiches or a chunky dip for pita chips as it rests and softens.
Did you like the recipe? Let’s star down!
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 162 | calories |
| 12g | Fat |
| 12g | carbohydrates |
| 3g | protein |
