These baked eggplant fans with tomatoes and mozzarella are summery with the wonderful taste of smoky eggplant and sweet tomatoes. This dish can be served as a vegetarian main dish with your favorite side dishes for lunch or dinner.
To make this easy eggplant recipe, the eggplants are first sliced without cutting through the stem so that it is easy to fan them out. Then, they get seasoned with salt and stuffed with tomato slices and mozzarella before baking them in the oven. Since this recipe takes such little effort and is so delicious, you may decide to put it on repeat in your kitchen.
What are Baked Eggplant Fans?
These baked eggplant fans are Italian-style eggplants that are sliced without cutting through the stems so that they fan out. Stuffed with sliced tomatoes and shredded mozzarella cheese, they are wonderful to make in the summer when both eggplant and tomatoes are in season.
Pro Tips
- Use large Italian-style eggplants for the best results, as they will be the easiest to slice and will have more surface area to hold the tomatoes and cheese.
- Choose the ripest tomatoes you can find for the best flavor.
- Feel free to scale up the recipe if you are serving a larger group.
- For extra color, you could use multi-colored heirloom tomatoes rather than regular red tomatoes.
- For extra flavor, you could replace the mozzarella cheese with smoked mozzarella for a smokier taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Add Other Fillings to Baked Eggplant Fans?
Yes, you could! If you would like to modify the recipe, you could add other ingredients like olives, sun-dried tomatoes, wilted spinach, or feta between the slices of eggplant.
Does Eggplant Need to Be Soaked Before Cooking?
While soaking eggplant with salt can be beneficial for reducing the bitter taste in the eggplant, it isn’t an essential step. This particular recipe doesn’t require you to pre-soak the eggplant as the eggplant will sweeten in flavor during the baking time.
What Can I Serve With Eggplant Fans?
These eggplant fans can be served as a side dish alongside roasted meat like chicken or pork. Alternatively, it also makes a wonderful main dish when served with fries or roasted potatoes and a tossed green salad on the side.
How to Store Baked Eggplant Fans
Although it is unlikely you will have any left, you can store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days before reheating it and serving it.
Ingredients
How to Make Baked Eggplant Fans
Cut the eggplants into slices without cutting through the stems. Season them with salt. Slice the tomatoes and shred the mozzarella.
Cut the eggplants into slices without cutting through the stems. Season them with salt. Slice the tomatoes and shred the mozzarella.
Stuff the eggplant with the tomato slices, cheese, and basil leaves. Drizzle them with olive oil and roast them in a 356 F (180 C) oven for 40 minutes.
Stuff the eggplant with the tomato slices, cheese, and basil leaves. Drizzle them with olive oil and roast them in a 356 F (180 C) oven for 40 minutes.
Serve immediately!
Serve immediately!
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