Best Eggplant Ragù With Capers And Burrata Recipes

BURRATA WITH ROMANO BEANS AND ROASTED EGGPLANT

Burrata With Romano Beans and Roasted Eggplant image

Although burrata is inarguably the star of this stunning summery salad, roasted eggplant, cherry tomatoes and Romano beans add a brilliant mix of colors, textures and flavors to the creamy mozzarella. The eggplant is soft and rich; the tomatoes, juicy and sweet; and the Romano beans, which look like flat, broad green beans, add a nice crunch. Then, to season it all, the vegetables are tossed with a piquant mix of garlic oil, capers, olives and fresh herbs. Serve this as a light meal or a first course, with grilled or toasted country bread, perhaps smeared with a little of the garlic confit left over from making the garlic oil.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories salads and dressings, vegetables, appetizer

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds eggplant, diced in 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed for cooking beans
8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
6 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 pound Romano beans, trimmed
1/4 cup pitted and sliced kalamata olives
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1/4 cup torn fresh mint
1/4 cup torn fresh basil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, more as needed
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, as needed
Black pepper, as needed
12 ounces burrata
Crusty bread, toasted or grilled, for serving

Steps:

Put eggplant in a colander. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and let stand in the sink to drain for 20 to 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
Meanwhile, make garlic oil: Place garlic cloves in a small pot and cover with 1/3 cup olive oil. Place over very low heat and cook gently until soft and pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool. Mash garlic with a fork, then strain the oil into a jar or little bowl, pressing hard on the solids. (Use the solids, known as garlic confit, as a spread for bread or keep to mix into vinaigrettes or marinades. It will keep for at least a week in the refrigerator.)
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Squeeze out as much excess liquid from eggplant as possible (or pat very dry). Toss eggplant with 1/3 cup olive oil and spread out on 1 or 2 rimmed baking sheets so the pieces aren't touching. (This makes for the best browning.) Roast, tossing once or twice, until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer eggplant to a bowl and toss with tomatoes and 3 tablespoons garlic oil.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in Romano beans and cook until just tender, 3 to 6 minutes depending on their size and thickness. Drain well under cold running water. Cut into 1-inch pieces; add to bowl of eggplant.
Toss olives, capers, mint, basil, vinegar and a little more garlic oil into salad. Season with flaky salt and pepper.
Place cheese in the center of a serving platter and surround with salad. Drizzle with more garlic oil if you like, and sprinkle with more flaky sea salt. Serve with crusty bread.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 681, UnsaturatedFat 37 grams, Carbohydrate 25 grams, Fat 57 grams, Fiber 9 grams, Protein 24 grams, SaturatedFat 16 grams, Sodium 1090 milligrams, Sugar 11 grams

MARIO'S EGGPLANT RAGU

Mario's Eggplant Ragu image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Categories dinner, main course

Time 1h

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut across in 1/4 -inch slices
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound red bell peppers, cut lengthwise in 1/8-inch strips
6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 1/4 pounds plum tomatoes, diced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 large leaves basil, shredded

Steps:

Sprinkle the eggplant with 1 tablespoon salt and drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat dry and cut in 1/4-inch dice.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the eggplant, peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cover. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and cook, uncovered, stirring, for 5 minutes. Season with 1 tablespoon salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the basil and let sit for 5 minutes before serving with pasta or polenta.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 396, UnsaturatedFat 30 grams, Carbohydrate 17 grams, Fat 37 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 3 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 840 milligrams, Sugar 10 grams

CHARRED EGGPLANT WITH BURRATA AND FRIED CAPERS

Charred Eggplant With Burrata and Fried Capers image

When summer cooking feels like too much, the simple formula of grilled vegetables served with an herby dressing and a ball of burrata will get you through the season. Here, grilled or seared eggplant is bathed in an herbaceous, lemony caper-infused olive oil for a light dinner or side dish. Salt-packed capers work best, as they are generally larger and have a petal-like shape that opens up when fried, resulting in a crisp shell that is crunchy and salty (but, brined capers work, too). Make sure to dry the capers well before frying to prevent aggressive spitting when they hit hot oil. Fried capers are highly snackable, so consider making a double batch. Serve with bread, flatbread or, for something heartier, pasta.

Provided by Hetty McKinnon

Categories weeknight, vegetables, appetizer, main course, side dish

Time 20m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup salt-packed or brined capers, rinsed
1 1/2 to 2 pounds eggplant (about 2 medium or large), trimmed and sliced into ½-inch disks
1 large handful of parsley, basil or a combination, finely chopped, plus more to serve
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
2 balls burrata (about 1 pound), at room temperature

Steps:

In a small saucepan or skillet, heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium-high until it shimmers, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, dry the capers very well by wrapping them in paper towels or a clean dish towel and wringing out the moisture. (If there is too much moisture, the oil will sputter aggressively.) Line a plate or tray with paper towels or a clean dish towel.
When the oil is ready, carefully drop the capers in and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden. (Watch closely, as smaller capers will cook more quickly.) Remove the capers from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on the lined plate. They will crisp up further as they cool.
Transfer the caper-infused oil to a large heatproof bowl and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Lay the disks of eggplant on a large cutting board or sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, flip over and drizzle the other side. Heat a large (12-inch) grill pan or cast-iron skillet on medium-high. (See Tip for grilling instructions.) When hot, working in batches, add the eggplant disks in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes, pressing the eggplant into the pan to encourage browning. Flip, reduce heat to medium and cook on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes, until completely tender. (The eggplant continues to soften as it soaks up the marinade in the next step, so don't be tempted to overcook.) Remove the eggplant from the pan and place them back on the cutting board or plate. Continue cooking the remaining eggplant.
Meanwhile, to the bowl with the cooled caper-infused oil, add the herbs, garlic, red-pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and a few pinches of black pepper. Toss to combine and taste, making sure it has enough salt. Add the warm eggplant slices to the oil and gently toss to coat. Allow to marinate for at least 5 minutes (see Tip).
Serve this on one large platter or as four separate servings. Place the burrata (for single servings, halve each ball of burrata) on the plate along with the eggplant and top with any remaining marinade and the fried capers, and scatter with fresh herbs.