Sautéed Eggplant with Garlic and Parmesan Recipe
Years ago, on a rainy Georgia night—after I picked a mother lode of eggplants from my garden—I set out to make the perfect side dish. Since eggplant is such a sponge, I wanted to see how little oil I could use. I cubed a large globe eggplant and cooked it until tender and lightly seared around the edges with just a couple tablespoons of good-quality olive oil. Then, I added fresh herbs, chopped garlic for a bite, and few passes of Parmesan on a cheese grater for a bump-up in flavor. This eggplant side dish is a summer stand-by for me.
My cooking philosophy is to use fresh, seasonal ingredients and alter them as little as possible so that its flavor shines through. This recipe does just that—it celebrates in-season eggplant by cooking it simply and with few ingredients and not a lot of oil.
To Salt or Not to Salt Eggplants
Eggplants are notorious for soaking up cooking oil due to their sponge-like texture. So the question is whether or not to salt them—a technique that draws out the moisture and renders the eggplant less sponge-like. Once upon a time, eggplants were more bitter than the ones we generally find at the market today. I quit salting eggplant years ago. I don’t want the additional salt in my diet—or the extra 30 or so minutes wait time.
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel
Types of Eggplant to Use
With a few exceptions, you can use any type of eggplant for this recipe. Keep in mind that some of them might be too bitter for this specific preparation. If you’re not sure, I recommend a test run—cook a slice and taste it before you commit to the entire dish. Use it to make Eggplant Parm instead.
Globe eggplants are widely sold in grocery stores. It is long, bell-shaped, and dark purple. That’s what I used for this recipe. In the peak of summer, farmers markets may carry countless varieties—vividly violet, skinny, and curved Japanese and Chinese eggplants; striped purple and white Sicilian eggplants; creamy white teardrop-shaped eggplants; small green Thai eggplants; and nearly black Indian eggplants the size of a chicken egg. All of these are delicious and I’d recommend trying out the recipe with them.
Simple Tip!
Look for firm, heavy eggplants with smooth, taut skin regardless of size or color.
Serving Suggestions
This is an umami-rich side dish for pork chops, lamb chops, or roast chicken. Want to keep it super easy? Try pairing it with Italian sausages cooked in a skillet, hearty country bread, and a simple green salad.
Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel
