Spicy Grilled Eggplant Risoni Bake
I love being a little family; having Lu has filled our life with so much joy and I can't believe she is now close to seven months old. How time disappears! And yes, it has been far too long between recipes here. I really need to get my cooking and blogging groove back and here for you all today is a very simple and tasty family veggie recipe. Risoni is a lovely ingredient with a great texture that's perfect for a pasta bake. A simple tomato sauce brings together the wonderful smoky flavor of grilled eggplant with oregano and fresh roasted tomatoes. It's a quick and super simple vegetarian recipe perfect for a midweek family meal. Try zucchini or capsicum (bell peppers) instead of the eggplant if you prefer and be sure to use lovely sweet cherry tomatoes for the very best flavor. Add a vegetarian feta or parmesan cheese if you like for a melty, gooey, cheesy topping. Serve up with crusty bread and enjoy with love from our kitchen to yours
I love being a little family; having Lu has filled our life with so much joy and I can't believe she is now close to seven months old. How time disappears! And yes, it has been far too long between recipes here. I really need to get my cooking and blogging groove back and here for you all today is a very simple and tasty family veggie recipe. Risoni is a lovely ingredient with a great texture that's perfect for a pasta bake. A simple tomato sauce brings together the wonderful smoky flavor of grilled eggplant with oregano and fresh roasted tomatoes. It's a quick and super simple vegetarian recipe perfect for a midweek family meal. Try zucchini or capsicum (bell peppers) instead of the eggplant if you prefer and be sure to use lovely sweet cherry tomatoes for the very best flavor. Add a vegetarian feta or parmesan cheese if you like for a melty, gooey, cheesy topping. Serve up with crusty bread and enjoy with love from our kitchen to yours
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 large celery stick finely diced
- 1 large carrot finely diced
- 11/2 cups risoni
- 31/2 cups vegetable stock
- 3 cups passata
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 1/3 cup kalamata olives pitted and squashed (optional)
- 3-4 lebanese eggplants halved lengthways
- 1/2-1 tsp harissa paste (optional)
- 4-5 whole cherry tomatoes
- a few slices of red onion
- sprigs of fresh oregano
- Carbohydrate 94.8720051309065 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 3.50872331965666 g
- Fiber 2.4489892024972 g
- Protein 3.29676810314927 g
- Saturated Fat 0.417022155265417 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (5543g)
- Sodium 22426.3334761166 mg
- Sugar 92.4230159284093 g
- Trans Fat 0.631378659492459 g
- Calories 410 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/356°F
- Fry the diced celery and carrot in a little olive oil over a medium heat until softened. Add the garlic and fry for a minute more.
- Add the risoni, stock, passata, tomato paste and bay leaf. Increase heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Meanwhile combine the olive oil and harissa in a small bowl. Brush the cut side of the eggplant with the harissa and olive oil mixture.
- Heat a small amount of oil in a grill pan, barbeque or frying pan. Place the eggplant on the grill cut side down and brush with remaining harissa and olive oil mixture. Grill eggplant over a medium/high heat until golden then turn and repeat on the other side. Remove from the grill and set aside.
- Remove the bay leaf and transfer the risoni mixture into a large casserole dish (there should still be a reasonable amount of liquid at this stage). Top with slices of grilled eggplant, tuck in the whole cherry tomatoes and scatter over the slices of onion and sprigs of oregano. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed and vegetables nicely roasted.
- Enjoy as a lovely warming family meal with crusty bread.
Controlling Eggplant Texture on the Grill
Eggplant flesh acts like a dense sponge filled with tiny air pockets. Brushing the cut sides with a harissa and olive oil mixture before grilling seals those cellular walls through fat absorption, preventing the flesh from drying out over direct flames. Cook the eggplant halves over medium-high heat until deep golden grill marks form, signaling the caramelization of natural sugars. If the heat is too low, the eggplant will steam instead of char, becoming rubbery rather than tender. Turning the halves only after distinct browning occurs guarantees the interior remains creamy while absorbing the aromatic spices.Managing Moisture and Starch in the Bake
Transferring the risoni mixture to the casserole dish while it still possesses substantial liquid is critical for proper oven performance. The 3.5 cups of vegetable stock combined with 3 cups of passata must remain fluid enough to continue cooking the grain during the first twenty minutes of baking. Tucking whole cherry tomatoes and red onion slices directly into this wet bed allows them to burst and release their own juices, contributing to the sauce without thinning it prematurely. Monitor the bake closely around the 30-minute mark; once the liquid vanishes entirely and the top layer develops roasted edges, remove the dish immediately to halt residual starch breakdown.
