We eat a lot of eggplant. I came up with this, what I like to call “Italian Stir fry”, a few years ago, and we make it pretty often. The garlic, onions, oregano and parsley bring intense flavor, and the eggplant brings a fun texture. I also mix in fresh tomatoes in addition to the tomato sauce to keep it fresh, as well as spinach to up the veggie content even more.
We usually enjoy this dish over quinoa, but it would taste great on pasta, or as a side for baked chicken. This dish takes a little longer to make, but I promise it’s worth it.
A note on cheese: I used Go Veggie dairy free parmesan for mine, but for my fiancé I use normal parmesan or mozzarella, whatever we have on hand!
Eggplant Ragu
Servings: 3
-1 cup quinoa (cooked to package instructions)
-1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
-1 tablespoon garlic, minced
-1/2 red onion, chopped
-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
-1 package grape tomatoes, halved
-1/2 cup tomato sauce of choice
-1 cup spinach
-1 tablespoon oregano
-1 tablespoon parsley
-salt & pepper to taste (you know the rule, season at every step!)
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions & garlic. Cook till softened. About three minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add in fresh tomatoes. Sautee with onions & garlic until they begin to soften, about seven minutes. Add in parsley & oregano.
- Add eggplant. These will soak up the oils quickly. Make sure you are constantly moving them within the skillet. After about three minutes, add in tomato sauce and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Check eggplant, once they are tender, but not mushy, add in spinach and continue to move the contents of the pan around until the spinach has wilted.
- Serve over quinoa (or pasta) and enjoy with some cheese on top!
Sunday Supper 