Signature Dish of the Day: Parmesan Roasted Eggplant

Signature Dish of the Day: Our signature dish of the day today is this beautiful and irresistible Parmesan Roasted Eggplant dish! Also known as an aubergine, the eggplant is more commonly regarded as a vegetable in the culinary world but is technically classified as a berry in botanical terms. I have to admit that I have never been a huge fan of the eggplant, but in staying true to my commitment  to embracing culinary exploration in all its glorious forms, I decided to give this unique fruit-vegetable a try just one more time. Eggplants are well known for their highly absorbent, sponge-like qualities. They are actually rather bland on their own and require significant help to truly elevate their flavor. Hence, the secret to a successful eggplant recipe lies squarely in the seasoning process. 

For this recipe, I only used 1 large eggplant (this was all an experiment after all!) and started by washing then slicing it into 1/2 inch circular pieces as shown above. I then placed the slices on a flat sheet pan and seasoned them liberally with extra virgin olive oil, smoked paprika, and ground black pepper before roasting them at 400℉ for about 17 minutes. I then took them out of the oven, sprinkled some grated parmesan cheese generously over the roasted eggplant slices, and placed them back in the oven under low broil for about 3 minutes until the parmesan cheese had slightly melted and turned into a lovely brown coating as pictured above. I am glad to report that this eggplant recipe turned out to be a delicious dinner side dish, but I am still not quit sold on eating eggplant on a regular basis! That being said, I encourage you to give this recipe a shot to change up your dinner menu in the spirit of trying new things. Let us know how it goes...Enjoy!