Melanzane a Funghetto, Neapolitan Eggplant
Melanzane a funghetto means eggplant cooked mushroom-style, small cubes stewed down soft the way you would treat mushrooms, a Neapolitan side that turns one cheap vegetable into something rich. The trap with eggplant is oil: cubed and fried, it drinks up as much as you give it. Roasting the cubes dry and hot first solves that, collapsing them and concentrating their flavor before they ever meet the tomato. From there it is a quick pan of garlic, crushed tomato, capers, and basil, cooked until glossy and loose. It sits somewhere between a side and a sauce, good warm over polenta or grains, or at room temperature scooped onto anything. Rinse the capers well and it stays inside the salt budget.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb Eggplant, cut into half-inch cubes
- 3 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 cup Canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tbsp Capers, rinsed well
- 1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp Dried oregano
- 1/3 cup Basil, torn
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Heat the oven to 450 F (230 C) and line a tray. Spread the eggplant cubes out and roast, tossing once, until collapsed and browned, about 25 minutes. Eggplant is a sponge, and roasting it dry first drives out the water and concentrates it, so it never needs the flood of oil the fried version soaks up.
- Near the end of roasting, warm a wide pan over medium heat and cook the garlic and red pepper flakes in 2 tablespoons water for a minute, just until the garlic smells sweet. Keeping the garlic barely cooked in water keeps it from browning bitter.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, capers, and oregano and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken. Rinsing the capers strips most of their brine, so they lend a floral, briny pop that does the work of salt without oversalting the pan.
- Fold the roasted eggplant into the sauce and cook together for another 5 minutes, until everything is glossy and thick and the eggplant has gone silky. Cooked down this far, the cubes lose their edges and the dish takes on the loose, saucy texture that gives it its name.
- Off the heat, stir through the torn basil and black pepper. Basil wilts and turns dull if it boils, so it goes in last, where its perfume carries the finished dish.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 90 calories, 3 g protein, 6 g fiber, 150 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
