This roasted eggplant caprese is a play on one of my favorite dishes from Giuseppe’s Ritrovo, one of the best Italian restaurants in Columbus. Giuseppe’s has since taken it off the menu, but they used to have an eggplant caprese stack that I always ordered instead of a salad.
Since they took it off the menu I’ve been on a mission to recreate it. The method I landed on is a little different that the original, but in the best way. I spoon garlic oil on the eggplant when it’s almost done roasting. The eggplant soaks up the flavorful oil resulting in my new favorite way to cook eggplant!
Roasted Eggplant Caprese:
1 medium eggplant
2 large or 3 medium tomatoes
8 oz. fresh mozzarella
About 20 basil leaves
1/2 cup olive oil + more for finishing
2 large cloves garlic
Balsamic glaze for finishing
Sea salt
Pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make the garlic oil: Mince the garlic. In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Take off the heat and set aside.
Cut eggplant into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Lay on two parchment lined baking sheets and sprinkle the top side of the eggplant with salt, about 1 teaspoon total. Let sit for 30 minutes to release the bitter liquid. Wipe off eggplant and bitter liquid that was released. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. Roast for 20 minutes on one side and flip over. Roast for 10 more minutes. Pull out of oven and spoon garlic oil over the eggplant. Roast for 5 -10 minutes more, until eggplant is soft and slightly golden. Pull out of the oven and let cool to room temperature.
Slice tomatoes and fresh mozzarella into about 1/4 inch thick slices. Season with salt and pepper. On a platter arrange the eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, and basil leaf, repeating the pattern until the ingredients are evenly used. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic glaze, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and the rest of the basil.
Enjoy!
Serves 4-6 people.
Tip: you can roast the eggplant the day before you’re planning to use it. Just store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Equipment:
This is my favorite pan to roast vegetables.
I buy boxes of this parchment paper in bulk for lining pans. I love that it’s pre-cut!