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a white plate with polenta and tomatoes and eggplant - square
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Eggplant and Tomato recipe

This is a fun comfort food item. Yummy veggies dolloped on polenta!  What's not to love?
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Keyword tomato and eggplant polenta
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 cups
Calories 323kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Polenta

  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup polenta (corn grits)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 ounces goat cheese

Vegetable

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium eggplants (ends cut off but cut in cubes or chunks)
  • 6 ounces tomatoes (I used small heirlooms)
  • 1 teaspoon basil (dried)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons garlic paste (or 2 garlic cloves, crushed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano

Instructions

  • Pour beef broth and water into a saucepan and heat it on medium.
    2 cups beef broth, 2 cups water
  • Once it comes to a boil, pour the polenta in and stir it until incorporated. Continue to stir it every 5 minutes until it's done at 25 minutes.
    1 cup polenta
  • Meanwhile, heat your sauté pan on medium (I used my wok) and add olive oil.
    2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Add eggplant, tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, and garlic. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring the veggies while you stir the polenta.
    1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 medium eggplants, 6 ounces tomatoes, 1 teaspoon basil, 2 teaspoons garlic paste, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon salt
  • Set veggies aside and once the polenta is done, stir in the goat cheese until it has melted
    2 ounces goat cheese
  • Ladle some polenta in a bowl or dish, dollop some veggie on top.
  • Serve, smile, enjoy.

Notes

Helpful tips

  • Start the polenta first, as it takes 25 minutes.
  • Wash the vegetables before you cut or cook them. I use a natural, unscented hand soap I get at Whole Foods. I love this soap, as it's a foaming soap.
  • Look for firm, glossy, and heavy eggplants for their size. Smaller eggplants tend to be less bitter and have thinner skin.
  • I don't think it is necessary to 'sweat' the eggplant for this dish. Here is an eggplant parmesan recipe where I don't sweat the eggplant and you can't tell the difference. But if you want to, here is how you do it: Slice or dice it, place in a colander, sprinkle with salt and let it sit for about 30 minutes before cooking. Rinse off the salt and pat dry.
  • Use ripe, fresh tomatoes for the best flavor. If tomatoes aren’t in season, high-quality canned tomatoes can be a great alternative. It will change the taste, but it's still delicious. If you are going to go with this option, use diced tomatoes and not crushed tomatoes.
  • I add some dried basil and oregano but fresh herbs also complement the flavors of eggplant and tomato beautifully. Don't be shy with adding garlic. You could also add sliced onion before cooking the eggplant and tomatoes.
  • Good quality extra virgin olive oil can elevate this dish, enhancing the Mediterranean flavors.
  • You can also add a sprinkle of cheese on top, such as feta or Parmesan. You can even add a few shakes of red pepper flakes if you want to spice it up.
  • To store any leftover vegetables, you can add them to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 1384mg | Potassium: 754mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 640IU | Vitamin C: 11.6mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1.5mg