This Eggplant-Tomato Stew Requires Just 5 Ingredients

Here's everything you need for this savory eggplant-tomato stew. This recipe makes between six and eight servings.

Ingredients to Gather

Olive oil, as needed
3 medium eggplants, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 heaping teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 box Pomi chopped tomatoes or 26 ounces chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste (be generous)

Directions to Follow

Heat a 10- to 12-inch flame-proof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add enough olive to cover the bottom of the dish in about 1/4-inch. Add enough eggplant slices to cover the bottom of casserole, with a little room between the slices. Fry until golden to tawny brown on one side, flip, and fry slices on other side. Transfer to paper towels and blot well. Continue to fry the eggplant, adding more olive oil as needed to prevent the bottom of the casserole from scorching. When all eggplant is fried, blot the slices and set aside. In the same casserole, add a bit of oil to gently sauté the garlic and onion over medium heat. When the onion is translucent, add the crushed red pepper flakes. Stir and sauté until you can smell the red pepper. Reduce the heat to low, add the tomato paste, and stir in until the paste is incorporated into the onions, garlic, and red pepper, about a minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, and stir well. Add the sugar, and allow the sauce to reduce by about a quarter.

Now, add the salt and pepper to taste, and then place some of the eggplant slices in a circular layer, using a spatula or the back of a wooden spoon to carefully push the layer of eggplant into the sauce. After this, make another eggplant layer, and then push this second eggplant layer into the sauce until the sauce is almost completely covering the eggplant. Cook for about 25 minutes over low heat, from time to time picking up the bottom of the stew so that it doesn't burn. When it's done, turn off the heat and set aside, and then let it cool almost to room temperature before serving.

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