Eggplant Marinara
Eggplant is in season in Central Ohio, it’s time to enjoy their bounty. I typically grill off a batch, whether I have Asian, globe, Italian or any of the many varieties out there and there are many. My husband is not crazy about the texture, so I don’t have many recipes since I just add the grilled eggplant to my sandwiches, pasta, pizza… I created this marinara with lots of chunky eggplant, garlic, peppers, tomatoes and herbs. Then I served it two ways, mine chunky over brown rice pasta with lots of fresh basil. My husband’s I pureed the mixture to an almost smooth sauce and served over penne. He enjoyed it with a grating of Parm and a smattering of fresh basil leaves.
Eggplant Marinara
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 dried cayenne pepper broken
1 ½ cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped orange or yellow bell pepper
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 ½ pounds eggplant coarse chop
4 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh, freezer fresh or canned with juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add olive oil, cayenne pepper, onion and bell pepper; stir and let cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook additional 2-5 minutes, just until pepper and onion start to soften slightly not letting them brown. Add the oregano, basil, thyme and eggplant; stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices and salt and pepper to taste. Your use of fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes will make a big difference in how much salt you need to add.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until everything is soft and tender about 45 minutes. If it starts to dry out, cover to finish cooking. Finally, do one more tasting and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
I love the big chunks of eggplant! Serve over pasta with lots of fresh basil. It was also be good over rice, couscous or polenta.
Pureed Sauce served over penne with lots of cheese and basil. This also would be great as a pizza sauce or serve warm in a bowl with a great bread or focaccia bread for dipping.
