With its endless possibilities for preparation and gorgeous aubergine hue, eggplant is one of our favorite produce items. Technically, it's a fruit, but it's generally treated like a vegetable, and it comes in a range of shapes, sizes, and colors. It's also versatile: Try it grilled, roasted whole, or as part of a vegetable stew. Eggplant makes a great sandwich filling or pasta sauce—and it can even be made into meatballs and more.
Before we share our favorite eggplant recipes, it's important to know how to identify a good one at the market: The flesh should give a bit when it is gently pressed; there should be no hard spots (avoid produce with brown or soft spots). The skin should be shiny and smooth (not wrinkled or mottled) and stems should be green. A whole eggplant will keep up to a few days in a cool place, but don't store it in the refrigerator—this will damage its texture.
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Crispy Lemon-Parmesan Eggplant
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Our irresistible riff on eggplant parm calls for broiling long slices of eggplant and topping them with a zesty panko mixture. It's quick to make and easy to love.
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Eggplant Provoleta with Crispy Potato Wedges
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This hearty vegetarian main dish is built around grilled eggplant slices topped with provoleta, a provolone-type cheese that's served browned and bubbling. There are also grilled tomatoes brushed with a spicy chimichurri sauce and grilled potatoes—and plenty more sauce for serving.
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Spaghetti and Eggplant "Meatballs"
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Our vegetarian-spin on meatballs is packed with familiar flavor agents, such as cheese, garlic, and oregano. A blend of eggplant and white beans replace the beef and are bound together with breadcrumbs and egg.
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Whole Grilled Eggplant with Rice Pilaf
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This dish has a few moving parts, but it takes less than an hour to prepare. It starts with roasting a whole eggplant on the grill until the skin is lightly charred. While it cooks, prepare the three-ingredient tahini sauce that's mixed in with the eggplant before it's served over a bed of pistachio-scented pilaf.
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Ravioli with Roasted Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Capers
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Roasted eggplant is combined with cherry tomatoes, shallots, and capers and tossed with store-bought cheese ravioli for an easy weeknight vegetarian dinner.
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Roasted Eggplant Sandwich with Soy-Lime Glaze
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If you've been searching for the perfect vegetarian sandwich, look no further. Eggplant slices are brushed with a glaze of soy sauce, lime, rice vinegar, and garlic, then roasted until tender and creamy. Don't forget the quick-pickled carrot, radishes, and cucumber that adds a tangy crunch.
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Eggplant Roti Pachadi
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This version of vegetable chutney—a popular dish in South India—mixes cooked eggplant with tamarind paste, cilantro, sugar, and toasted spices in a mortar and pestle (or food processor) until well combined.
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Eggplant Involtini with Fresh Tomato Sauce
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Sweet, roasted, and nutty, this one-pan dinner is sure to delight. Flame-kissed, tender slices of eggplant are stuffed and rolled with three cheeses (fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and feta), currants, pine nuts, and breadcrumbs, then baked in a fresh tomato sauce.
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Tomato-Eggplant Gnocchi
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For a quick, hearty, and meat-free meal, try this recipe that starts with store-bought gnocchi. Sautéed, diced eggplant is combined with ricotta, fresh diced tomatoes, and basil. It's a combination you'll want to enjoy on the regular.
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Mushroom-Eggplant Lasagna
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Meaty mushrooms and eggplant make a perfect filling for vegetarian lasagna.
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Grilled-Eggplant Parmesan
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Here's a lighter, low-carb version of eggplant parmesan. Instead of breading and frying the slices, they are grilled. Top with mozzarella, return to the grill until the cheese melts, and then top with a tomato-shallot mixture, basil, and drizzle with good-quality olive oil.
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Eggplant and Roasted-Pepper Pasta
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Yes, the charred roasted red peppers are delicious, and yes, the campanelle-shaped pasta is a unique choice, but the real star of the show is sweet sautéed eggplant. Make this dish for a summer potluck and watch as it disappears quickly.
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Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes
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This dip has it all: The fruitiness of good-quality olive oil, mild shallots, fragrant mint, sour lime juice, spicy hot chile peppers, and meaty eggplant. Serve it as an appetizer or main course—either way, it will be an instant favorite.
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Spiced Eggplant Stacks
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These layered eggplant and tomato stacks are sure to win your crowd over. We love them served alongside warm pita bread or as an appetizer, but they also win as a vegetable side dish alongside grilled meat.
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Eggplant Meatball Casserole
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You've heard of vegetarian lasagnas, but have you ever heard of vegetarian meatballs? Tender puréed eggplant, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and an egg white are whirred together to create a paste, then rolled into large balls and pan-fried.
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Blistered Eggplant with Tomatoes, Olives, and Feta
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The only cooking required for this plant-based main is broiling the eggplant until it becomes juicy and crispy. The rounds are then topped with cherry tomatoes, olives, parsley, feta, and a rich olive oil. Serve with crusty bread to sop up all the juices.
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Skillet Pizza with Eggplant and Greens
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Roasted eggplant might not seem the most obvious topping for pizza, but you really should give this recipe a try. It starts with homemade or storebought pizza dough; add a quick tomato-onion sauce, Swiss chard, roasted eggplant, and melty provolone cheese.
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Indian Eggplant (Bharta)
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This dish starts with an unconventional technique—roasting a whole eggplant directly over a gas stove. Then, a paste is made with onions, ginger, and garlic and sautéed with a diced chile pepper, cumin seeds, diced tomatoes, turmeric, and eggplant. Serve over rice for a flavorful entrée.
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Soba Salad with Grilled Eggplant and Tomato
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Refreshing and healthy, this charred, vegetable-based soba noodle salad makes a delicious lunch or side dish—it's also vegan.
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Eggplant, Pistachio, and Pomegranate Pizza
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Here's another not-so-traditional take on pizza, and this one is quick to put together. With deep-purple eggplant, green pistachios, and bright red pomegranate seeds, it's also a vibrant, but harmonious mix of colors, textures, and flavors.
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Eggplants Stuffed with Lamb, Rice, and Currants
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When you're craving healthy comfort food, make this stuffed eggplant dish. The delicate flavor of ground lamb is a hearty complement to brown rice, fresh mint, and parsley in the filling.
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Grilled Eggplant with Tomatoes, Basil, and Feta
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This is a stunning summer dish that's a little like a caprese salad—but with eggplant and feta standing in for the usual mozzarella. Large slices of eggplant are grilled, then topped with a combination of cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, pine nuts, and basil.
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Traditional Eggplant Parmigiana
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What would a list of eggplant recipes be without this Italian classic? There are layers of red sauce, meaty fried eggplant, and melted cheese in every bite.
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Calamarata with Roasted Eggplants, Tomatoes, and Olives
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No, those aren't rings of calamari. Calamarata is a type of pasta that just so happens to resemble the squid. Here, it's tossed with a variety of colorful vegetables, including eggplant and cherry tomatoes, as well as sweet Italian sausage.
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