Eggplant Layered with Vegetables

Adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (2007)

Ingredients

This recipe is very adaptable — sub the quantities with whatever you have. If you like celery, go for the mirepoix, but I dislike it.

  • 2 eggplants probably
  • 1 jar marinara sauce (if you’ve got 2/3 of a jar left from something else that’d be fine)
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 onion
  • 1-3 carrots
  • 1/2-1 bell pepper (green or red)
  • 1/2 zucchini (optional)
  • sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
  • feta (optional)
  • parsley (optional)
  • mozzarella (optional)

Instructions

  1. Peel the eggplant, or not (I often peel alternating strips). Slice into 1/2 inch thick (or skinnier but don’t go fatter) rounds.
  2. Dice the other veggies.
  3. Preheat oven to 350.
  4. Pan-fry the eggplant in oil and drain on paper towels. This might take a while — you’ll probably need to give it about 3-4 minutes a side to be fully soft. You can dredge it if you want, I don’t. Don’t crowd the pan. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on while it’s cooking.
  5. Saute the veg. Mix in the sundried tomatoes if you’re using them. Season to taste.
  6. Pour a thin layer of marinara sauce in your baking pan. Depending how much you’re making, you can probably get away with a 9″ square. I’ve also made larger batches in a 9×13″ pyrex.
  7. Lay down a layer of eggplant.
  8. Spread a layer of sauteed veggies. Sprinkle over some feta and/or parsley if you’re using it.
  9. Keep layering: marinara, eggplant, veggies, till you’re out. If you feel like it, you can top with mozzarella, but it’s also good vegan without either cheese. I usually pick one or the other cheese.
  10. Bake 20-30 minutes. It should be bubbling. You can sprinkle more parsley on top if you want. I usually serve this on its own but you could serve beside couscous or another grain to stretch it farther.

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