Italian marinated eggplant

This Italian marinated eggplant is made by grilling then marinating slices in a herb, garlic and oil mixture. It's easy to make and meltingly tender and flavorful. Great as an antipasto, side dish and more.

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I'm not sure whether I can claim to be a lifelong eggplant/aubergine fan, but I definitely don't remember disliking it at any point (which is more than I can say for some other vegetables). Unfortunately, that's not quite true for my kids.

They will eat when it's relatively hidden in a dish, but not when it's more on it's own. They do love baba ghanoush, and I suspect it's partly a texture thing. So, I haven't entirely given up hope for some day. In the meantime, I get to enjoy dishes like these grilled marinated eggplant all for myself. Which, I have to say, I am not too sad about.

Eggplant in Italian cooking

Eggplant is believed to have first been cultivated in Southeast Asia and was introduced to Europe in the Middle Ages through the Moors in Spain in the 8th century. It arrived in Italy via Sicily, which was once under Arab rule.

While eggplant has become a staple of many Mediterranean countries and is enjoyed across Italy, it's particularly at home in Sicilian cooking. Many of the most well known Italian dishes using eggplant are in fact Sicilian - pasta alla Norma, caponata and eggplant parmigiana to name but a few.

You'll find marinated eggplant in a few regions, particularly in the South, including Sicily. It's a great way to enjoy the vegetable, without too much effort. It's also that bit lighter which fits in perfectly for warmer days.

Ingredients for marinated eggplant

For this dish you'll need the following:

• Eggplant (aka aubergine) - the star of the dish! You want to use the Italian-style rather than Asian eggplants for this. Make sure they are nicely fresh - they should have smooth, shiny skin and a largely green stem. I find not too big is generally best to have fewer coarse seeds.
• Olive oil - use a good quality one, ideally extra virgin, for the marinade as you will taste it.
• Wine vinegar - just a little adds a little bright slight sharpness to the marinade. If you prefer, you could use lemon juice though it will be a little different.
• Fresh mint - this adds a lovely aromatic flavor to the marinade. You could also use other fresh herbs such as basil, parsley or oregano (or a mix) to vary the aromatics.
• Garlic - the other main aromatic in the marinade, it adds a nice punchiness. Cut it really small so the pieces don't get overpowering as you eat them.
• Salt and pepper - you use some salt to draw out the liquid from the eggplant before cooking, then more along with pepper to season the marinade.
• Oregano - this is more optional, and if you have fresh then that would be even better to be a better texture. Another option is to add a few red pepper flakes for a slightly spicier version.

It's really a short list, and very much everyday ingredients, but they come together so nicely.

Steps to make this dish

You'll find a couple variations in how to make marinated eggplant but essentially they mostly all cook the eggplant first THEN place it in marinade, similar to my marinated grilled zucchini. Part of the reason is this greatly improves the texture and flavor of the eggplant. Some versions boil the eggplant first, so that the end result is in many ways more of a condiment.

However, personally, I prefer this method that grills the eggplant - it adds more flavor and the marinated slices are that bit more versatile in how you use them (and, honestly, look nicer too).

Cut the eggplant in medium slices - not too thin or they will fall apart when cooked. I recommend that you salt them to draw out any bitterness. It's an easy step, and you can set them aside as you chop things for and mix the marinade. Mix the marinade ingredients in a shallow dosh such as a baking dish, ready to add the eggplant slices in after cooking.

Once the eggplant has beads of liquid on top, wipe down the slices and brush with oil. Eggplant can act like a bit of a sponge, especially when uncooked. The salting helps with this a little, but also using a brush helps limit how much oil you add.

Once ready, grill the slices on both sides until cooked and tender, then transfer to the marinade. Dip in both sides then stack a little as you add more slices. Enjoy eiher straight away or leave for the flavors to mingle a little more.

How to serve marinated eggplant

These are somewhere between a side, antipasto and a condiment, so can be served in various ways. Some ideas include:

• In an antipasto platter, such as with salami, ham, cheeses, crostini and/or bread. Or simply on it's own with some bread.
• As part of a potluck buffet - they'd be great with dips, salads and many more dishes for guests to mix and match.
• Served as a side dish to grilled meats and skewers, for example chicken or lamb.
• Used as a filling for sandwiches, maybe with cheese and/or tomato.
• Incorporated into pasta dishes and salads.

I know it's not traditional, but I also really like them made into little stacks with tomato and mozzarella (as below). Alternatively, if you cut the slices of eggplant a bit thicker, dice them after cooking and cut the cheese and tomato similarly to make a sort of chunky salad. I've used smoked mozzarella before which was really tasty in there, too.

If you have leftover, or want to make them ahead, these store well in the fridge for a day or two. Just be aware the vinegar can become a little stronger in taste over time, which is part of why I only use a little. Also, these are best at room temperature so let them warm before serving.

However you enjoy it, marinated eggplant is a tasty and versatile dish that's perfect for summer. You don't need many ingredients, or a lot of time, and the result is tender and flavorful. Well worth finding an excuse to enjoy soon.

Try these other summer sides:

• Zucchini corn fritters
• Tomatoes stuffed with rice
• Elote-style corn and black bean salad
• Plus get more side dishes and summer recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

This post was first shared in August 2016 and has been updated and adapted slightly, plus additional tips and new photos added.

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