Best Eggplant Recipes
Eggplant has a mild flavor and meaty texture that make it perfect for everything from classic Italian pastas and cheesy baked dishes to smoky dips and simple grilled sides. These are my best eggplant recipes, along with plenty of tips for cooking it perfectly every time!
Italian Eggplant Recipes
Eggplant shows up everywhere in Sicilian cooking, which is probably why I love it so much. From pasta alla Norma and caponata to eggplant parmigiana, there are so many ways to turn this humble vegetable into something really special.
Late summer is when eggplant is at its best. Look for eggplants that feel firm and heavy for their size, with smooth, glossy skin and no soft spots or blemishes. I usually reach for classic globe eggplants or round Sicilian eggplants, which are both great for roasting, grilling, frying, and tossing with pasta.
I also try to avoid really large eggplants when I can. Smaller, fresher eggplants tend to have fewer seeds, a sweeter flavor, and more tender skin. I usually peel larger eggplants since the skin can sometimes be tough or bitter, but with smaller, younger eggplants, it's totally optional.
And despite what a lot of recipes will tell you, you don't always need to salt eggplant before cooking it. Most modern eggplants aren't nearly as bitter as they used to be, so I only bother with the extra step when it actually makes a difference in the finished dish.
Eggplant Pasta Recipes
Eggplant and pasta are a natural match, especially in Sicilian cooking. Whether it's roasted until golden, fried until silky, or cooked down into a rich sauce, eggplant adds tons of flavor and a hearty, almost meaty texture to pasta.
Pasta Alla Norma
This classic Sicilian pasta was one of my favorites when we traveled around Sicily. My version uses my easy oven-fry method to get the eggplant nice and golden without the mess, then tosses it with rigatoni, a rich tomato sauce, fresh basil, and plenty of salty ricotta salata.
Tomato Eggplant Past
This late summer pasta makes the most of eggplant, ripe tomatoes, and fresh basil. The eggplant gets oven-fried until golden and buttery, then tossed with a fresh tomato sauce, pasta, Parmigiano, and big cubes of mozzarella that get just melty enough without losing their shape.
Sicilian Eggplant Caponata
Caponata isn't technically a pasta dish, but I love making it into one. This traditional Sicilian eggplant dish is loaded with tomatoes, olives, capers, raisins, and pine nuts for that signature sweet and sour agrodolce flavor. Toss it with your favorite pasta and a dollop of creamy ricotta for an easy dinner that's especially good in late summer
Eggplant Appetizers & Dips
Eggplant makes a great starting point for appetizers because it soaks up flavor and works just as well creamy and smoky as it does grilled and marinated. These simple recipes are made for scooping, spreading, and piling onto crusty bread or crostini.
Charred Eggplant Dip
This smoky charred eggplant dip is like an Italian spin on baba ghanoush, with lemon, garlic, oregano, capers, and parsley blended into the silky eggplant. Toasted pine nuts add a little crunch, and it's an easy make-ahead appetizer served with plenty of crostini, pita, or fresh veggies for dipping.
Italian Grilled Eggplant
This marinated grilled eggplant is smoky, juicy, and one of my favorite ways to serve eggplant in the summer. The warm slices soak up a punchy marinade of garlic, red wine vinegar, fresh herbs, and olive oil, making them especially good piled onto crostini or served as part of an antipasto spread.
Eggplant Caponata Dip
This classic Sicilian caponata is loaded with tender eggplant, tomatoes, olives, capers, raisins, and pine nuts for a bold sweet and sour flavor. It's even better after it sits for a while, making it a great make-ahead appetizer served at room temperature with plenty of crispy crostini for scooping.
Eggplant Main Courses
These eggplant main courses are hearty, satisfying, and packed with bold Mediterranean and Italian flavors. From cheesy baked classics to rich, savory casseroles, eggplant is the star of the show in every one.
Unbreaded Eggplant Parmesan
This unbreaded eggplant parm has all the melty, cheesy comfort of the classic, but it's simpler to make and naturally gluten free. My oven-fry method gets the eggplant beautifully golden without the mess of frying, then it's layered with marinara, mozzarella, and Pecorino Romano and baked until bubbly.
Eggplant Moussaka
This classic Greek moussaka layers tender oven-roasted eggplant with a savory, spiced meat sauce, and creamy béchamel that's baked until golden and bubbling. It's hearty, comforting, and tastes even better the next day, making it a great make-ahead main course for family dinners or entertaining.
Baked Eggplant Parmesan
This is one of my all-time favorite eggplant recipes, passed down from my Sicilian great-grandmother and perfected by my mom. Layers of crispy oven-fried eggplant, rich tomato sauce, and three different Italian cheeses make it hearty, cheesy, and every bit as satisfying as traditional fried eggplant parm, without the mess of frying.
Pasta with Eggplant
Think of this as eggplant parmesan in pasta form. Buttery roasted eggplant, fresh tomato sauce, basil, and big cubes of mozzarella come together for a hearty vegetarian dinner that still tastes fresh and summery.
Pasta Alla Norma
Pasta alla Norma is proof that you don't need meat to make a really satisfying dinner. Rigatoni gets tossed with golden roasted eggplant, a rich tomato sauce, fresh basil, and salty ricotta salata for a hearty Sicilian pasta that's especially good when eggplant is at its peak.
Eggplant Side Dishes
Eggplant makes an especially good summer side dish because it soaks up bold flavors and can be served warm or at room temperature. These recipes pair especially well with grilled meats, seafood, or as part of a larger Italian spread.
Grilled Marinated Eggplant
This marinated grilled eggplant is one of my favorite summer side dishes, especially when the grill is already fired up. Salting first gives the eggplant a tender, meaty texture, while a punchy marinade of garlic, red wine vinegar, fresh herbs, and olive oil soaks into the warm slices for tons of flavor.
Sicilian Eggplant Caponata
This Sicilian caponata makes a flavorful side dish with tender eggplant, tomatoes, olives, capers, raisins, and pine nuts in a sweet and sour agrodolce sauce. Serve it warm or at room temperature alongside grilled meats or seafood, or as part of a larger Italian spread.
Tips for Cooking Eggplant
- Most eggplants today aren't nearly as bitter as they used to be, so I don't recommend salting unless it actually serves a purpose. For grilled eggplant, I always salt it first because it draws out excess moisture and helps prevent it from becoming mushy and absorbing too much oil.
- Eggplant is at its best when it gets really golden brown and caramelized. Whether you're roasting, grilling, or frying, high heat helps develop more flavor and keeps it from turning soggy.
- Try my oven-fry method! This is my go-to technique for recipes like eggplant parmesan and pasta alla Norma. Toss the eggplant generously with olive oil, spread it out on a sheet pan, and roast it at high heat until deeply golden. You get the rich flavor and texture of fried eggplant without standing over a pot of hot oil or making a huge mess.
- Undercooked eggplant can be spongy and unpleasant. You want it completely tender inside with plenty of browning on the outside. When you think it needs a little more time, it probably does.
Eggplant is one of those vegetables that can go in so many different directions depending on how you prepare it.
Heartier dishes like eggplant parmesan, moussaka, and eggplant pasta can easily stand on their own as a main course. So I like to keep the sides simple with a crisp arugula salad or Caesar salad and some warm homemade focaccia for soaking up any extra sauce.
For grilled eggplant, caponata and other lighter dishes, serve them alongside grilled meats or seafood for an easy summer dinner.
My grilled marinated lamb chops are especially good with eggplant, or you can make it part of a bigger Italian spread with good bread, cheese, olives and a few other antipasti.
Eggplant also pairs especially well with tomatoes, basil, garlic, lemon and plenty of good extra virgin olive oil, so you really don't need to overthink it.
Eggplant FAQs
No. Eggplant skin is completely edible, so peeling is mostly a matter of preference. I usually peel larger globe eggplants because the skin can be a little tough or bitter, but smaller, younger eggplants tend to have thinner, more tender skin that I leave on.
Not always. Most modern eggplants aren't as bitter as they once were, so I don't automatically salt them before cooking. I do recommend salting eggplant before grilling, however, because it draws out excess moisture and helps prevent it from soaking up too much oil.
Properly cooked eggplant should be completely tender and creamy inside with plenty of golden brown color on the outside. If it's still firm or spongy in the center, keep cooking it a little longer.
Classic globe eggplants and round Sicilian eggplants are my favorites for Italian cooking. They're both versatile and work beautifully for just about everything.
Roasting, grilling, or frying eggplant at a high temperature helps it brown and caramelize rather than steam. If you're roasting it, spread the pieces out in a single layer and don't overcrowd the pan.
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