These roasted eggplant are a super-satisfying, super-filling vegetarian dinner. And perfect for using up all the last-of-summer veggies that are filling the up the farmers’ markets and grocery stores!
This recipe can serve two or four, depending on what your meal plan is…you could serve two with nothing more than these roasted eggplants, or serve four with a side salad, carb and/or veggie side dish. No matter how many you plan to serve, look for the small, longer eggplants (like Italian or baby eggplants) to make this recipe. The bigger ones are just, well, too big and unwieldy to use for this elegant main dish.
These are hearty because they’re full of vegetables like summer squash/zucchini, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes, then topped with French lentils tossed in a Dijon vinaigrette, and topped with goat cheese, herbs, and toasted pine nuts. A drizzle of pomegranate molasses is an optional but very welcome topping to add some brightness to the final dish.
I highly recommend using Le Puy lentils, which are green lentils from France that hold up well after cooking, whereas red or brown lentils will generally break down (but are perfect for Indian dals!). Cooking them yourself (versus buying pre-cooked canned/bagged lentils) allows you to impart more flavor via the cooking stock and ensure they are cooked until al dente.
This recipe takes a little time to put together due to its various components, but it’s a beautiful meal to have for a slightly-more-involved weeknight dinner-or when company’s coming!
[tasty-recipe id=”38025″]
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