Sautéed Eggplant and Tomatoes (melanzane a funghetto) is a quick side dish that’s simple to prepare and good for you. Can be served as a side, as part of an antipasto, as a topping for bread, or on top of pasta.
Although the name of this dish contains “funghetto” which translates to “mushroom”, it actually means that when the eggplant is sauteed it has the texture of mushrooms.
There are no mushrooms in this dish. I would have translated it to melanzane e pomodori which makes more sense. But, who am I to change it?
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It's best to use a 1 - 1 ½ pound eggplant. Any larger and you will have too many seeds which will make this bitter. If you want to use smaller ones that's fine. Just use enough to make 1 - 1 ½ pounds. Okay? Okay.
You don’t need to peel the eggplant or salt it. Just slice off the ends then chop the eggplant into 1-inch cubes. It doesn’t really matter if they’re a little bigger, just cut them the size that you can fit them into your mouth.
Plum tomatoes work well here because they don’t have a lot of seeds, but you can use whatever tomatoes you like. If they contain a lot of seeds, just remove some of them before chopping.
All you have to do is heat up some olive oil in a skillet. It doesn’t have to be extra virgin either. In fact, my family used regular olive oil when cooking.
Extra virgin olive oil was always saved for salads or drizzling on top of food before serving. Just know, you don’t have to cook with the expensive stuff. Save it for finishing.
This dish comes together rather quickly. I don’t salt the eggplant beforehand and neither did my uncle Tony when he taught me how to make this dish.
Salting removes some of the bitterness of the eggplant but if you’re using fresh eggplant that aren’t super huge, you shouldn’t have a problem. I'm repeating myself here.
The eggplant is sauteed until it gets some color and softens a bit. Then it’s covered for about 8 - 10 minutes. This time allows the eggplant to cook and release the oil it has absorbed.
The garlic and tomatoes are then stirred in and cooked until the tomatoes “melt” and release their juices. Those juices blend perfectly with the eggplant, garlic and oil.
The only seasonings you need are oregano, salt, and pepper. If you like things hot, you can substitute crushed red pepper.
Fresh torn (or sliced) basil leaves are added at the end.
About the oregano...the Italian version of this dish doesn’t add it. Being first generation Peruvian and Italian, I add a little Peruvian flair to this dish by adding the oregano and “cooking” it with the garlic to release it’s flavor.
Serve sautéed eggplant and tomatoes as a side or on top of pasta. It’s easy and good for you.
Life is too short for mediocre food.
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SAUTEED EGGPLANT AND TOMATOES
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Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil doesn't have to be extra virgin
- 1 pound plum tomatoes chopped about 4 or 5
- 2 - 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 eggplant about 1 - 1 ½ pounds unpeeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- A few fresh basil leaves
- Kosher salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium high heat, heat the olive oil and add the eggplant. Sprinkle with some salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
- Sauté until the eggplant gets a little color and softens just a bit. This should take at least 5 minutes. Give them a stir here and there, then cover and let them stew for about 5 minutes.
- Uncover and stir. You’ll notice the eggplant released some of the oil it had absorbed. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Then add the tomatoes, oregano, and some salt and pepper to your taste.
- Stir and let cook uncovered for about 5 minutes or so to allow the tomatoes to break down a bit. The tomatoes should have “melted” and created a sauce.
- Tear or slice the basil and stir it in. Remove from heat.
- You can top with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese but this is delicious as is.
- Can be served as a side, a light meal, as a topping for bread, or mixed with some pasta.
Nutritional Information
I don't post the nutritional value because I don't trust the accuracy of the nutritional apps. I’m not a nutritionist and don't want to post misinformation.
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Lexy Martin
Curious whether now that this is cooked, whether I might puree it into soup, adding some vegetable broth. My husband doesn't love the "gushy" eggplant. BTW -- I used a pound of fairy tale eggplant cut into one inch pieces
Natalie
Yes, you can puree it if you wish. I would probably peel the eggplant first if you are going to puree, unless they're small, young eggplant that have a tender skin. with a softer The flavors are there, and you could add water or broth to it. My aunt would puree sauces because some wouldn't like the texture. It's a trick she did to get people to eat what they didn't like. 🙂 Thank you for the rating!
Abbye Smith
This recipe was exactly what I was looking for! I had an abundance of eggplants and Roma tomatoes from my garden this season. I wanted something different to make and your recipe was perfect and DELICIOUS!
I am now a fan!
Thanks for sharing
Natalie
Thank you for commenting. This is also one of my favorite recipes. If you could, please rate the recipe. Thank you so much! 🙂
Abbe
Thank you for sharing you lovely website and great recipes Natalie. This tomato(I bought a bag of bruised/blemished for .99 cents!) and eggplant(fresh, small) dish was just what I was looking for! I added extra garlic cloves and did not have fresh basil, so used dried and this dish came out delicious. Stellar even~ I am looking forward to try more of your recipes. Thanks again 🌺
Natalie
Thank you so much for the lovely comment. I appreciate it so much. I love to cook and share recipes and what makes me happy is having people like you come to the site and find a recipe they love. - ❤️ Natalie
Abbe
BTW, I just read your “about” section and I cook the same way. And yea, “The Genetic Chef” is a great name. I totally got it!
Happy end of Summer 🌺well, almost.
Natalie
Yes, The Genetic Chef is a great name. My husband picked it out. I lost him three years ago to pancreatic cancer, but every time I go onto my site, I remember him. 🙂
And yes, summer is coming to an end soon. I'm already getting recipes ready for the holidays and my hope is to come out with a book in the fall. 😊
Catherine
So simple and delicious! Perfect for a hot summer evening.
Served over small portion of pasta with a crab cake on the side.
Natalie
That sounds delicious! Thank you for the comment and rating. 🙂
Angelina
I made this for the first time but instead I used canned plum tomatoes and broke them down by hand. Thank you for this recipe ,very delicious and a great summer dish
Natalie
You are very welcome! Thank you for visiting and commenting. 🙂
Julia
Yummy!! I just made this and served with rice and fresh parsley, and it was really good! I'm thinking that halloumi would go well with this, will try that tomorrow. Thanks a lot for the recipe!
Natalie
You are very welcome! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Berl Kaufman
This is kind of like a rataouille I used to make..
I'm going to make this with a huge batch of Japanese eggplants I picked up at Buford Highway Farmers market here in Atlanta. Thanks for the recipe!
Natalie
You are very welcome. 🙂
Pam
Easy and awesome!
We grow eggplant & tomatoes and I'm always looking for "not parm" recipes.
Had some cooked leftover rice noodles on hand due to stuffing some veg egg rolls earlier in the week - made the whole pack of noodles, whoops. Happily they served perfectly as a base for this, had mini naans with a garlic parsley compound butter on the side, (mixed softened unsalted buttter, garlic salt & dried parsley, easy) to round out a full meal.Thanks!
Natalie
You're welcome! Natalie x
Emilie
This is great! I wanted to make an eggplant/tomato casserole, but it's hot & I didn't want to turn on the oven. So I searched for something I could make on the stovetop. It was delicious. Thanks!
Natalie
Awesome! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Marybet Duplessis
Call me crazy, but I was looking for a way to cook an eggplant as a side dish for dinner. I made this and then at the end I threw in a bag of Trader Joe’s Quinoa Duo. The flavors went great together. I served it with marinated grilled hanger steak.
Natalie
Crazy!!! hahahahahah
Joan Deurloo
Very yummy. First time I tried it was with a lot of guests and everyone was impressed and wanted the recipe.
Natalie
Thank you so much for commenting. I'm so happy you and your guests enjoyed it! 🙂