Roasted Eggplant with Walnut Pesto
Serves 4 people
Few vegetables yield the tender meatiness of a roasted eggplant, which is why I make this recipe a few times a month. The moist eggplant halves are delicious on their own roasted with fresh thyme but the vibrant green walnut pesto really wakes everything up and allows each bite to feel like an indulgence. I like to think of this recipe as a simple luxury for dinner but it's also a fine dish to serve when entertaining friends for a casual night at home.
Prep Time - 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time - 35 minutes minutes
Total Time - 40 minutes minutes
Walnut Pesto
- 2 1/2 cups packed fresh basil (or flat-leaf parsley) leaves
- 1/3 cup walnuts
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp. sea salt
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Using a sharp knife, make three parallel incisions in the cut side of each eggplant half, without cutting through the skin. Then, make three more incisions at a 45 degree angle yielding a diamond-shaped pattern. Flip each eggplant half over and repeat the incisions on the skin side, as well.
Place the eggplant halves face up on the prepared baking sheet. Note: eggplant absorbs oil very, very fast so I suggest pouring olive oil into your hands and massaging it into the eggplant halves coating the flesh and outer skin until they are nice and glossy. Sprinkle the flesh with sea salt and fresh thyme. Place the halves cut side up on the baking sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes or until very tender and golden brown.
Meanwhile, combine all the pesto ingredients in a mini food processor and puree until it reaches your desired consistency. Season to taste with sea salt.
Remove the eggplant from the oven, set aside to cool for 2 minutes then serve warm with the pesto.
Store leftovers in separate sealed glass containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Lay the eggplant halves flat when storing to ensure they remain intact.
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