Grilled Italian Eggplant Recipes

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Italian Grilled Eggplant is a straightforward, quick, and easy appetizer or side dish that can be prepared on a grill or stovetop pan grill with a few fresh ingredients.

How to Make ITALIAN GRILLED EGGPLANT Like an Italian

Italian Grilled Eggplant 🔗

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Ingredients:

  • 1 Medium sized eggplant
  • Freshly chopped parsley (Handful)
  • 1 Garlic clove
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • Small bunch rocket leaves (Arugula)
  • Balsamic vinegar (pref from Modena)

Instruction:

  1. Italian grilled eggplants can be cut different ways, in this recipe; I’ve chosen to cut them into circles.
  2. First, trim each end of the eggplant then hold the eggplant on one side and start to cut round strips, approx. 1cm thick.
  3. Lay the eggplant strips flat on a chopping board and sprinkle salt all over them. Then, leave them to the side for 5 minutes.
  4. While you are waiting, crush one garlic clove into a glass and add 6 tablespoons of EVOO.
  5. Add 2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and stir well – this is the dressing for your Italian grilled eggplants.
  6. If you feel like there is too much vinegar, add another touch of EVOO.
  7. Wash and strain the arugula and put it into a bowl before adding 2 teaspoons of the dressing and mixing it through. This is the garnish for your Italian grilled eggplants.
  8. Heat up your grill/skillet to a medium/high heat.
  9. Using kitchen paper, gently pat down the eggplants which will have created water from the salt.
  10. Once the grill/skillet is hot, place the eggplants on top and leave to cook. Don’t fill the pan too much as it’s best to just cook in batches (Depending on the size of your grill/skillet).
  11. Check they aren’t burning every now and then and once they have turned lightly golden and become a little charred, turn them over using a set of tongs or a fork and cook on the other side. Once cooked, remove and place on a chopping board to rest.
  12. Repeat steps 10 & 11 until all of your eggplants are grilled.
  13. Once the Italian grilled eggplant have slightly cooled, layer them on a flat plate (where you wish to serve them) and add the dressing by using a spoon to drizzle it all over then spread using the back of it or you can also use a pastry brush to spread it too.
  14. If you wish, add some cracked pepper on top along with some freshly chopped parsley.
  15. Finally, garnish the plate with the rocket/arugula.
  16. E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!

FAQ

Do you need to peel eggplant before grilling?

Before grilling the eggplant, you shouldn’t peel it because the peel adds texture and visual appeal to the dish as well as helping to keep the vegetable together; otherwise, the flesh will fall apart.

How do you keep grilled eggplant from getting soggy?

Sprinkle coarse or sea salt on sliced eggplant, let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes, then rinse and pat the slices dry with a paper towel to prevent “Soggy Eggplant Syndrome” in your cooked recipes.

What is the difference between Italian eggplant and regular eggplant?

After a lengthy series of experiments, I discovered that you only need to salt eggplant if you’re going to be frying it, and even then, only occasionally. If you’re cooking it in any other way, such as roasting, grilling, or steaming, salting has no effect.

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