30 Eggplant Recipes to Make This Summer
While eggplant is readily available all year long at grocery stores, it’s never as good as when it’s in season, which it happens to be right now. You’ll find the purple orbs piled up at farmers markets (when buying eggplant, be sure to choose one that’s firm, with smooth, shiny skin and a green stem, and feels heavy for its size) and stuffed inside your CSA box. It’s tender and sweet this time of year, and it deserves your attention.
How to cook with it, though? You have so many options! It can be grilled or roasted simply as a side dish, transformed into a silky pasta sauce, and, of course, be fried and layered into a cheesy, luxe eggplant Parm. Here are 30 of our favorite eggplant recipes to make with this hearty vegetable.
Eggplant Pastas
Pasta is a perfect counterpart to eggplant because it begs to be paired with a sauce that’s both silky and flavor-packed, both of which the purple vegetable can achieve.
Other Great Eggplant Mains
Since eggplant is such a naturally meaty vegetable, it’s a great choice when you’re looking to build a satisfying dinner that just so happens to be meatless.
Eggplant Salads and Sides
Just like all vegetables, eggplant can play the side dish, too, of course. Use it as the base for a colorful salad, roast it simply, or even turn it into fries.