Melanzane Arrostite

(Sicilian-Style Grilled Eggplant)

September 25: National Eggplant Day

Islander’s former colleague, Luigi M., is from Sardinia. But he still cooks Italian food from the other neighboring island, Sicily, such as melanzane arrostite (grilled eggplant). He had a small grill in his condo patio and made this vegetable side dish for dinner when he invited us over to meet his wife and daughter.

Eggplants are abundant in Italy and the Mediterranean. So they are featured prominently in regional recipes. Since Highlander already was already planning to grill some meats, we decided to use the extra space for this Sicilian specialty and cook both the main and side dishes together.

For National Eggplant Day, make melanzane arrostite and its minty marinade. Buon appetito!

Recipe

(From Luigi M.)

For the grilled eggplant

  • 2 large globe eggplants (around 1 pound each)
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the marinade

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup vinegar (red wine or balsamic)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoon mint leaves, finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the grill. Wash and dry the eggplants. Slice into ½-inch thick rounds. Brush some olive oil on both sides. Salt and pepper both sides.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the olive oil, vinegar, minced garlic and chopped mint leaves. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour over grilled eggplant rounds and allow them to absorb the marinade. Turn the pieces so everything is soaked.

Grill the eggplant slices for 3-5 minutes, then turn and grill for another 3-5 minutes. Transfer the pieces to a large casserole dish or baking pan. Garnish with extra mint leaves if desired. May be served hot or room temperature.

Notes

  • We did not have fresh mint on hand, so we sprinkled 1 teaspoon of dried mint leaves in the marinade. We garnished this dish with chopped cilantro for color and taste.
  • Search our blog for other eggplant recipes.