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My easy Stuffed Eggplant Recipe is roasted eggplant stuffed with mozzarella, tomato, and pesto. It's like a roasted eggplant caprese! I'll show you how to roast eggplant in the oven for the best flavor and texture following simple steps.
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Stuffed Eggplant Recipes
By far, eggplant is one of my favorite roasted vegetables. There is so much you can do with it, and personally, I never get tired of stuffed eggplant recipes!
My recipe for stuffed eggplant combines all the flavors of an Italian caprese salad, including basil pesto, mozzarella, and tomato, with tender slices of roasted eggplant. It's one of my favorite Sunday dinner recipes; I really never get tired of it!
Every bite is worth savoring as-is, but to make it even more amazing, I like to add toasted pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, and fresh shredded basil. I promise you've never had a stuffed eggplant recipe like this one!
Amazing recipe. Turned out beautiful!
Adrienn
Stuffed Eggplant Ingredients
- Eggplant: Pick out a large eggplant for this recipe.
- Tomatoes: You want to use beefsteak tomatoes for this dish, as they are large and have the perfect texture for pairing with eggplant.
- Mozzarella: I recommend the freshest slices of mozzarella you can get your hands on for amazing flavor, but you can see I'm using simple slices in this recipe, so any mozzarella will do.
- Pesto: I'm using a basil pesto for this recipe. You can also use a nut-free pesto if you prefer.
- Olive Oil: For roasting the eggplant!
- Optionally, you can also add toasted pine nuts, fresh basil leaves, and grated Parmesan cheese.
I don't add any additional seasoning to this recipe, but you can also roast eggplant using my Veggie Seasoning.
How to Cut Eggplant into Slices
For stuffed eggplant recipes, it's important to get those perfect slices. You want them cut to the right thickness and you don't want to cut all of the way through the bottom.
- Set your eggplant on a cutting board. To each side of the eggplant, place a guide: this could be a wooden spoon handle, chopstick, or thick wooden skewer.
- Slice your eggplant without cutting all of the way through - you want it to connect at the bottom of each slice. When your knife hits the guide, that's when you know to stop cutting.
- Cut the eggplant into slices that are about ¼ inch thick.
Isabel's Top Tip
Preheat your oven to 350°F while slicing the eggplant so it will be ready once you're done preparing it to bake.
How to Stuff Eggplant
Next, you'll stuff the eggplant with cheese, tomato, and pesto.
- Place pesto in between each slice of eggplant, followed by a slice of beefsteak tomato and a slice of mozzarella cheese.
- Continue stuffing the eggplant slices until each slice is filled with pesto, tomato, and mozzarella.
It was sooo easy and my roommates loved it!
Munira
How to Roast Eggplant
Time to bake! Follow this guide for how to cook eggplant in the oven for the most perfect, delicious, and tender dish:
- Place the stuffed eggplant in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish greased lightly with olive oil. Let it lay almost flat in the dish.
- Drizzle olive oil over the eggplant, and roast at 350°F for 1 hour, until it cooks through and is nicely browned.
- Cut through the bottom of the slices to serve. Sprinkle with pine nuts, fresh basil, and grated Parmesan, if desired.
This was spectacular!
Deborah
Roasted Eggplant Recipe Tips
Oven-roasting is one of the best ways to cook eggplant, but if you've never cooked it before, there are a few details to look out for!
- Use the right eggplant: Look for a large eggplant to use in this recipe. The most common variety of American eggplant is generally the perfect kind to use!
- Pick a ripe eggplant: When ripe, this vegetable will be firm and shiny, without any wrinkles or squishy spots.
- You do not need to add salt to this recipe. The salt from the pesto mixture is typically enough.
Stuffed Eggplant Recipes FAQ
The #1 secret to cooking the perfect eggplant is it must be completely cooked through until it's soft, smooth, and creamy. Always check with a fork and make sure it's soft and cooked perfectly.
You do not need to peel an eggplant; especially when slicing the eggplant. The skin adds a nice bite.
Storing and Reheating
To store leftover stuffed eggplant, add it to an oven-safe airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When ready to reheat, you can add the oven-safe container to an oven heated to 350°F and bake until heated through. For smaller portions, you can use a microwave-safe container. I recommend adding a paper towel over the top of the container to prevent it from spattering in the microwave.
What to Serve with Stuffed Eggplant
Stuffed Roasted Eggplant Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant - or 2 smaller eggplants
- 2 large beefsteak tomatoes - halved and sliced
- 4 ¾ oz. mozzarella cheese - not soft burrata, but mozzarella slices
- ¾ cup pesto
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Optional for serving
- toasted pine nuts
- fresh basil leaves
- grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice 1 large eggplant almost all of the way through into slices that are about ¼-inch thick, leaving them connected near the bottom. Halve and slice 2 large beefsteak tomatoes.1 large eggplant,2 large beefsteak tomatoes
- Place a heaping 1 tsp. or so of pesto in between each slice, followed by a slice of beefsteak tomato and a slice of mozzarella cheese.¾ cup pesto,4 ¾ oz. mozzarella cheese
- Continue stuffing the eggplant slices until each slice is filled with pesto, tomato, and mozzarella.
- Place the stuffed eggplant in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish greased with olive oil. Let it lay almost flat in the dish. Drizzle olive oil over the eggplant, then roast at 350°F for 1 hour, until it cooks through and is nicely browned.2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- Cut through the bottom of the slices to serve. Sprinkle with pine nuts, fresh basil, and Parmesan.toasted pine nuts,fresh basil leaves,grated Parmesan cheese
jo_jo_ba says
Now I REALLY wish our eggplants had grown this summer!
Cindy Kerschner says
So elegant looking!
Wendy Klik says
What a gorgeous dish!
Eileen Gray says
Wow, that is an impressive dish!
Nettie Moore says
A real show stopper! Nettie
David Crowley says
What a beautiful vegetable dish!
Alix P Lindstrom says
Do you think I could make this with marinara sauce instead of pesto?
Isabel Laessig says
We don't see why not. Let us know how it turns out.
Sheena says
Really tasty but i will make slimmer hasselback slices next time as the middle was less cooked and also put a bit more pesto on both sides of the slices. 😋😋😋
Amand says
Made this for dinner tonight. It was very good but needed a little something. A splash of balsamic vinegar did the trick.
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, Amand! We're glad you enjoyed it - and that sounds like an amazing addition!
Jean Pitt-Ficchi says
Turned out great! I added whipped ricotta to the “stuffing”. So tasty, will make this again and again and again until my eggplant crops are depleted !🤣
Isabel Laessig says
Whipped ricotta sounds like a wonderful addition! Thanks so much, Jean, and enjoy your homegrown eggplant - that must be so good!