One of the culinary treasures I brought back from Italy with me was a mint-infused extra virgin olive oil from an extraordinary olive oil factory named Frantoio Gargiulo in Sorrento (http://www.frantoiogargiulo.com/en/). A delicious drizzle of this oil on fish, lamb, a fresh tomato salad, or a slice of crisp bruschetta is an incredible way to brighten up any dish. My most recent creative pairing with this olive oil was over a plate of tender roasted eggplant and cherry tomatoes, all finished off with a creamy dollop of ricotta cheese. The flavor of mint goes so well with the eggplant and tomatoes—it imparts such a clean, fresh flavor to this dish that is truly delizioso. If you didn’t have a bottle of mint oil, you could use a high quality olive oil instead, and then sprinkle the entire dish with a chiffonade of fresh, flavorful mint leaves for that pop of flavor.
The sliced eggplant ready to be roasted
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Roasted Eggplant & Tomatoes with Mint Oil
Ingredients:
- 2 eggplants, ends removed and sliced into ½ inch thick rounds
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Arugula, for serving
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- Mint oil, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets, and 1 smaller baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sliced eggplant rounds on the 2 large baking sheets and the tomatoes can be placed on the smaller baking sheet. Drizzle about 2 Tablespoons total of oil over the eggplant slices, and the remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil over the tomatoes. Season the eggplant and the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the eggplant are tender and the tomatoes beginning to wrinkle.
- Arrange some arugula on a serving platter. On top the arugula, place the roasted eggplant followed by the cherry tomatoes. Place the ricotta cheese in the center of the plate and drizzle the entire plate with some of the mint oil before serving.
Tagged: Arugula, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, Italian, Italy, mint, mint oil, ricotta cheese, roasted vegetables, side dish, vegetarian
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