Tired of Eggplant Parmesan but tempted by all the beautiful eggplants in your garden or at the market? Try this Eggplant Puttanesca! A zesty topping of capers, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, Kalamata olives, and feta makes the melt-in-your-mouth roasted eggplant even more delicious!
Why you will love this recipe!
This recipe really is simple. Slice and roast the eggplant, sprinkle with the chopped topping, and then broil for a few minutes. After a few minutes you’ll have beautiful eggplant puttanesca slices ready to eat like mini-pizzas, serve alongside your favorite pasta, or stuff into a delectable sandwich.
Ingredients needed for Eggplant Puttanesca :
- Eggplant- slice into circles or strips, whichever way you please.
- Pitted Kalamata Olives-roughly chopped or sliced.
- Capers- You don’t need much, but their bright, briny flavor packs a big punch, so don’t skip them!
- Crumbled Feta- you can use goat or sheep’s milk feta-both work great. I’m a big fan of sheep’s milk feta when using the feta in fresh salads or on a charcuterie board, but for finishing this dish, I like the typical goat’s milk version.
- Chopped Flat-leaf Parsley- the clean flavor and crisp color finish the dish.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes- their concentrated flavor adds sunny depth to the topping.
- Garlic- a quick squeeze of the garlic press provides the baseline for this saucy jam.
- Crushed red chili flakes- just a dash of these little beauties to spice things up a bit.
A note on Puttanesca-
Its spicy origins are often debated, but everyone agrees that this combination of pantry staples come together to make a sensational sauce. Traditional puttanesca sauce cooked on the stove with fresh or canned tomatoes also typically includes anchovies. And while I love them in puttanesca sauce and would never dream of making it without anchovies (because even if you don’t like anchovies, they cook down to melty umami flavor!), this puttanesca topping only broils for a moment and the anchovies can be overpowering. If you like anchovies, by all means, chop up a 2 ounce can in this recipe and it will be amazing! But I’ve omitted them to make this Eggplant Puttanesca dish more widely appealing.
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Eggplant Puttanesca
- Total Time: 37 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
For Puttanesca topping:
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed in garlic press
2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 Tablespoons drained capers
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup feta cheese crumbles
* One 2-ounce can anchovies packed in oil, drained and chopped (optional)
For roasted eggplant:
1 large eggplant, sliced into ½ inch slices
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
To prepare the roasted eggplant:
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Line baking sheet with parchment.
- Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and place on parchment lined tray.
- Next, sprinkle the eggplant with kosher salt.
- Roast the eggplant in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
For Puttanesca topping:
- First, combine all topping ingredients except ½ the chopped parsley in a small bowl and stir to combine.
- After eggplant has roasted, remove it from oven and turn on the broiler.
- Then, sprinkle each eggplant slice with a spoonful of the puttanesca topping.
- Place under broiler for 2-3 minutes.
- Finally, remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining parsley before serving.
Notes
Pro-tip- if you don’t regularly use the ingredients in this recipe, like Kalamata olives, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, or feta, don’t be daunted! Head to your local grocery and hit the salad bar to get the ingredients. You can often find everything but the parsley at a salad bar or olive bar in large grocery chains. Otherwise, invest in a jar of each item and see my list of favorite recipes that use those delicious Mediterranean ingredients. You can use them in so many great ways and I promise you won’t be disappointed!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
Pro-tip- if you don’t regularly use the ingredients in this recipe, like Kalamata olives, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, or feta, don’t be daunted! Head to your local grocery and hit the salad bar to get the ingredients. You can often find everything but the parsley at a salad bar or olive bar in large grocery chains. Otherwise, invest in a jar of each item. You can use them in so many great ways and I promise you won’t be disappointed!
What to serve with Eggplant Puttanesca?
- Most recently, I served this alongside a batch of pesto pasta for a beautiful veggie summer meal. My easy basil pesto recipe makes a great complement to the eggplant puttanesca.
- The sweet and salty dish can hold its own with grilled meats, like steak or chicken, and is awesome alongside fish like red snapper, wahoo, baked cod, or tilapia.
- Layer 2-3 of these eggplant slices onto a slice of focaccia or ciabatta bread for a hearty, flavorful sandwich.
- Layer these on top of your favorite frozen cheese pizza for puttanesca pizza!
How to store leftovers
Store leftover eggplant in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Reheat it in a pan for 2-3 minutes or under the broiler briefly. These unfortunately do not freeze well, so eat them up!