I ended up making an Italian sauteed eggplant dish recently that was really good. Here’s how it happened.
Last Saturday night I decided to make a nice ribeye steak for dinner. When I make steaks at home I need a couple really good side dishes.
I had an eggplant in the fridge I needed to get rid of. My first thought was eggplant rollatini, but I didn’t have any ricotta cheese.
I thought about all the different ways to cook an eggplant. I limited it to Italian food. I also wanted something with tomato sauce.
I decided to make a simple sauteed eggplant recipe that I had made before. It’s quick, easy and very versatile.
I love this eggplant side dish a few different ways. It can be served over pasta or on its own. In my opinion the best way to eat it is at room temperature.
If you’re someone who likes to mess around with Italian sautéed eggplants, check this out.
What You Need To Make Italian Sauteed Eggplant
Head to the grocery store and pick up a few simple ingredients. I’ll give you all of the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Eggplant
You need some fresh eggplant. I like Italian eggplants with a nice shiny dark skin. Make sure they are firm. The ones with a soft texture could be old.
Celery
Get some celery. It’s one of those fresh ingredients you might already have in the fridge. It adds some good texture to the dish.
Tomato Sauce
Make a quick tomato sauce. All you need is olive oil, garlic, and a can of crushed tomatoes. Add fresh basil if you have it.
You can also use a good jarred marinara sauce if you want. But make sure it’s a really good one.
Olive Oil
You need cooking oil to fry the eggplant. Olive oil gives the dish some great flavor. You can use extra virgin or regular olive oil.
Seasoning
This eggplant recipe only needs simple seasoning. I just used salt and black pepper.
How To Make Italian Sauteed Eggplant
This is a really easy recipe. Here’s how I did it. You can check out the full instructions in the recipe card below.
In a medium saucepan, heat up your tomato sauce on the stove.
I took an eggplant and cut it into 1-inch cubes. I didn’t bother peeling the eggplant skin. You can peel it if you want.
Then I took a large nonstick skillet and coated the bottom of it with olive oil. I put the pan on medium-high heat until the oil was hot.
I put the eggplant dice pieces in the frying pan in a single layer. If you don’t have a large skillet just fry the eggplant in batches.
Set the fried eggplant on some paper towels to drain the excess oil.
I let the eggplant cubes fry for about 3 minutes on one side. When they got golden brown I turned the cubes over. I let the other side fry for a few minutes.
As the eggplant cooked, I added some diced celery to the pan. I seasoned it with a pinch of salt and some black pepper.
I let the eggplant and celery cook together for about 7-10 minutes until the celery got a little soft.
Then I transferred the eggplant and celery into the pan with the tomato sauce. I let it simmer on medium heat for about 20 minutes.
I took the pan off of the stove and let it come to room temperature.
And that’s it. It was the perfect side dish with my steak.
Italian Sauteed Eggplant FAQS
What are some ways to use Italian sauteed eggplant?
There are so many ways to eat this. It’s also a pretty healthy recipe which is nice if you’re watching your weight.
Add it to a sandwich. It will take your simple lunch to the next level.
Toss it with some spaghetti and add some grated parmesan cheese.
Make crostini by serving it on toasted sliced bread.
What are other types of eggplant I can use to make this dish?
If you don’t have Italian eggplant you can use Japanese eggplant, Chinese eggplants or globe eggplants.
Can I freeze my Italian sauteed eggplant?
Yes. Make a big batch and put it in an airtight container. Store it in the freezer so you always have some on hand when you need it.
How hot should the oil be to fry the eggplant?
I suggest letting your oil get to 350 degrees f. Your sautéed eggplant recipe will be perfect golden brown at this temperature.
If you need another delicious side dish check out my eggplant parm recipe a/k/a melanzane alla parmigiana. I don’t use breadcrumbs when I make it. I coat the eggplant slices in flour and egg before I fry them.
If you want to make a healthy eggplant parmesan you can leave out the flour and egg all together.
Italian Sauteed Eggplant Recipe: Easy Side Dish
Ingredients
1 eggplant cut into 1 inch cubes
2 celery stalks, medium dice
1 cup olive oil
1 quart of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat tomato sauce on stove in a saucepan
- Add half of the olive oil to a large skillet and put it on the stove at medium-high heat
- When the oil is hot add eggplant cubes to the pan in a single layer. Cook for 3 minutes on one side until gold brown.
- Turn the eggplant cubes to the other side and allow them to fry for an additional 3 minutes. If you notice the bottom of the pan getting dry add a little oil.
- Add diced celery to the pan. Season everything with salt and pepper.
- Allow the eggplant and celery to cook together for 7 to 10 minutes.
- When the celery starts to soften up, add the sauteed eggplant and celery to the pan of tomato sauce.
- Simmer everything together for about 20 minutes on medium heat.
- Transfer to a bowl.
- Enjoy!
