10 best aubergine recipes include meat dishes, vegetarian mains, pasta and sides. It's a mighty versatile vegetable! Fruit, technically of course.
Aubergine, aka eggplant in some parts of the world (though seriously? aubergine also means the vibrant colour while eggplant means nothing appetising or vibrant at all) is one of those vegetables that can absorb any flavour wonderfully like a sponge. It is best fried or roasted, and there’s no need to remove the skin unless you’re making baba ghanoush.
The need to salt aubergine before cooking is also largely redundant these days as the modern varieties of the fruit (yes it is!) are not bitter, which used to be the purpose of salting. If you have time however, salting might be helpful to draw moisture from the aubergines and thus reduce the amount of oil it can absorb while cooking – and it does that like a sponge, too. That goes especially for frying; when roasting, it is not so much of an issue.
Let’s go then! The best aubergine recipes, from the crown jewel of aubergine parmigiana to supporting roles in ratatouille and moussaka.
The best ever aubergine dish in my view! A genius combo of the sliced vegetable layered with mozzarella and baked in tomato sauce with basil and Parmesan. Where does the name come from? Hint: it’s not because of Parmesan!
Yu xiang qie zi, Sichuan stir fried aubergine in ‘fish fragrant’ sauce has no fish or fish sauce among the ingredients but what it has is a divine amount of umami and a depth of flavour. As aubergine is one of my favourite meat for plant swap, I like it as a main course, with plain rice.
A pasta bake in tomato sauce becomes twice as delicious when you add chunks of sauteed aubergine to the mix. Chunky pasta shape is my usual choice for this dish: fusilli, penne or rigatoni.
Tomato and aubergine pasta bake
RECIPE
As mentioned, aubergines are marvellous at absorbing and imparting gutsy flavours. This is my favourite recipe for aubergine side dish. Aubergine slices are dredged through a mix of flour and spices, which also helps contain oil absorption. Fry them until charred and serve with Greek yoghurt.
This is a brilliant dish in which a whole seared duck breast is sliced and served over mushrooms and aubergines that cooked in the duck fat. So easy, so flavoursome and so impressive!
Ziti are tube-shaped pasta, similar to penne but shorter, and to rigatoni, but smooth. This dish has bacon in it but does not drown in cheese, there is no tomato sauce, and it is not a million calories like your usual pasta bake. Roasted mashed aubergine flesh provides the sauce and the pasta goes into the oven for the crunchy and crispy edges.
Greek moussaka is one of my all-time favourite dishes. Aubergines, potatoes, spiced and fragrant lamb mince in bechamel sauce… What’s not to love? The amount of work that goes into preparing it, I guess, but you can make an enormous tray of moussaka and freeze it in portions.
Nigella-inspired side dish where you can mix and match vegetable depending on your fridge contents and your preferences. But make sure aubergine is always included: that vegetable is absolutely delightful in the anchovy sauce.
Anchovy braised vegetables
RECIPE
Aubergine is a secondary ingredient here but if you stuff your bun only with a chunk of halloumi, it will be a very sad burger indeed. Make sure that thick slices of roasted aubergine, together with pepper and onion are layered with the cheese.
And finally, the French classic vegetable dish you might not instantly associate with aubergines, but it is bien sur a key ingredient. I cook my ratatouille very simply, adding vegetables to the pot in the order of time required to soften them. Aubergine, peppers, courgettes, onions - and a few mushrooms because why not.