fairytale are my favorite varieties of eggplants. their lovely skins are striped with purple and white and they fit in the palm of your hand. they also have a sweetness that other eggplants don't have. when preparing these little gems i usually think to stew them but last night i decided to roast them and serve a simple roasted red pepper ragout atop. this is a perfect side or can be served on top of a bed of pasta. last night it was a hearty meal for our rainy weather!
ingredients
a dozen..or so fairy tale pasta
extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion
2-3 large or 4-5 small red peppers
4 cloves garlic
a handful of herbs, i used basil and parsley (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
directions
-pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
-slice the eggplant in half, lengthwise
-in a collander, toss heavily with salt and let rest for 15 minutes or until they sweat
-rinse with cold water
-toss with olive oil, salt and pepper
-line a roasting pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper and place eggplants cut side down
-line another cookie sheet with parchment paper
-put red peppers on sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper
-put both peppers and eggplant in oven to roast for 20 minutes
-while roasting, dice onion and garlic
-saute for both in olive oil until translucent
-when eggplant and peppers are done roasting....remove skin, stems, and seeds from the peppers
-place peppers, onion, and garlic in a blender and add herbs, blend
-remove the stems from the eggplant and place in a bowl
-spoon the ragout over the eggplant and serve warm
photographs and words by kristen bach