How to cook eggplant sauce for spaghetti, shish kebab, rice, mashed potatoes and buckwheat

In addition to complete dishes, you can also prepare an interesting eggplant sauce. There are many recipes, from simple to more complex, where other components are added. But the main ingredient for them is always eggplant.

Tomato sauce with eggplant

A classic version of sauce made from eggplant, tomatoes and garlic. A similar vegetable sauce with eggplant goes well with pasta and other pasta products, so it is part of Italian cuisine.

Composition:

• eggplants – 400 g;
• tomatoes – 400 g (can be replaced with tomato paste – 250 g);
• olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• oregano (dried) – 1 tsp;
• basil – 2 sprigs;
• parsley – 4 sprigs;
• salt;
• ground black pepper.

Recipe:

1. Cut the eggplants into oblong slices. Chop the tomatoes into arbitrary smaller pieces.
2. Chop the herbs and garlic in any way.
3. Heat olive oil in a frying pan. You can also use sunflower, which has no obvious aroma.
4. Fry the eggplants until golden.
5. As soon as they turn golden, add parsley, basil with garlic and dried oregano. Stir and continue cooking.
6. When the eggplants become soft, add the tomatoes. If you use tomato paste instead of fresh tomatoes, you need to dilute it with cold water (250 ml or a little more is enough). Sprinkle with salt and pepper (to taste), stir again.
7. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10-15 minutes. If the future sauce becomes too thick, you can add a little water.

It is recommended to immediately mix the hot sauce that has just been removed from the heat with freshly prepared pasta. And for a spectacular presentation and a more expressive taste, you can sprinkle chopped herbs and grated Parmesan on top.

Baked eggplant

If you prepare sauce from eggplant baked in the oven, you will get a dish with a completely different flavor. And when possible, it’s worth making sauce from eggplants on the coals or eggplants on the grill.

Then the taste will be dominated by the aroma of the grill, which will make the dish even more interesting.

Composition:

• eggplants – 400 g;
• tomatoes – 500 g;
• bell pepper – 200 g;
• garlic – 5 cloves;
• dill – 1 bunch;
• sol – 0.5 h. l.;
• ground black pepper.

How to do:

1. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper (no need to grease). Place whole eggplants, peppers and tomatoes on it. If you are using a grill, you can place the vegetables either on skewers or on the grill.
2. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 250°C.
3. Grind the garlic using a garlic press.
4. Peel peppers and tomatoes. It is more convenient to do this when they have completely cooled down. You can remove the peel from baked eggplants, but it is not necessary – when we bake the eggplant well, it will become very soft.
5. Chop all the vegetables as finely as possible, and dill along with them.
6. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. If the sauce turns out too thick, add a little warm water (it all depends on the juiciness of the tomatoes).
7. Add salt and pepper. To stir thoroughly.

Baked eggplant sauce can be served immediately. But it is advisable to let it brew for at least 30 minutes so that the ingredients have time to exchange flavors.

Eggplant dip

Aromatic pasta sauce with eggplant and garlic is a dish slightly different from the sauces described above. The cooking technology is slightly different, but the resulting sauce with eggplant for pasta is still perfect.

Composition:

• eggplants – 400 g;
• tomatoes – 300 g;
• bell pepper (preferably red) – 150 g;
• olive oil – 4 tbsp. l.;
• onions (large) – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• salt;
• ground black pepper;
• Italian herbs.

Recipe:

1. Chop the eggplants into small cubes. Sprinkle lightly with salt and leave for 20 minutes – this helps remove the bitterness from the vegetables.
2. Peel tomatoes and peppers. To do this, you need to quickly scald the vegetables with boiling water – the skin will easily come off.
3. Finely chop the onion. A little larger – chop the peppers and tomatoes. Grind the garlic with a crush.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan. Place the onion there and fry until half cooked (until it becomes translucent).
5. Add pepper to the pan. Cover with a lid and fry over medium heat for 10 minutes.
6. Pour the eggplants in there. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
7. Add tomatoes with garlic, as well as salt and spices. The main thing is to remember that the eggplants have already been salted before.
8. Reduce heat to low. Simmer the future gravy under the lid for another 20 minutes (approximately).

The finished gravy is worth tasting. If the tomatoes were too sour, you may need to add a pinch of sugar.

If the dish turns out to be too liquid, just remove the lid and simmer for another 2-3 minutes so that the excess water evaporates.

Pasta sauce

Another, more complex recipe for eggplant and tomato sauce, widespread in Western Europe. This eggplant sauce works best for pasta.

Composition:

• eggplants – 500 g;
• tomatoes (preferably cherry) – 400 g;
• olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
• onions – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• chili pepper – 0.5 pcs.;
• balsamic vinegar – 2 tbsp. l.;
• oregano (fresh) – 2 sprigs;
• basil – 2 sprigs;
• olives (black) – 70 g;
• pickled capers – 1 tbsp. l.;
• salt;
• ground black pepper.

How to cook:

1. Chop the eggplants into fairly large cubes.
2. Chop the onion, garlic and chili very finely.
3. It is good to heat a large frying pan with oil. Place the eggplants on it and fry until golden, stirring frequently.
4. Add onion with garlic and hot pepper. Stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Add cherry tomatoes. If the tomatoes are quite large, you can cut them in half. Pour over balsamic vinegar, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10 minutes. While everything is stewing, finely chop the oregano. Remove the leaves from the basil.
6. Add olives (can be chopped or whole) and capers. Also season with salt and pepper. Stir, cover and simmer for another 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and add basil.

Meat sauce with eggplant

By adding minced meat, you get an unusual recipe for a hearty eggplant sauce. It can be eaten as an independent dish – just with bread.

Composition:

• eggplants – 400 g;
• minced meat – 500 g;
• zucchini (preferably zucchini) – 250 g;
• bell pepper – 120 g;
• sunflower oil – 6 tbsp. l.;
• onions – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• tomato paste – 3 tbsp. L.;
• sugar – 1 pinch;
• salt;
• ground black pepper.

Recipe:

1. Cut the zucchini and eggplant into cubes, and the pepper into strips. Also chop the onion and garlic with a knife.
2. Heat a large frying pan. Fry the eggplants in half the sunflower oil for 6-7 minutes. Then add salt and pepper and transfer to a separate bowl.
3. Pour the rest of the oil into the pan. Place zucchini, peppers and onions with garlic in it. Stir and fry for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
4. Move vegetables to the side. Place the minced meat in the vacant space and knead thoroughly with a spatula to make it cook faster. Then mix with vegetables.
5. Fry everything until the minced meat is ready. Add a little more salt and pepper.
6. Return the eggplants to the pan. Add tomato paste (if it is too thick, dilute it in cold water). Stir and simmer for another 5-7 minutes.

The composition of the minced meat for this meat sauce should be chosen according to your taste – pork, beef, and poultry are suitable. Also, instead of salt, you can add soy sauce – it goes very well with eggplants and garlic.

Barbecue sauce

The classic eggplant and tomato sauce is usually used for pasta. But you can also make a version of eggplant barbecue sauce that goes perfectly with grilled meat.

Composition:

• eggplants – 400 g;
• tomatoes – 400 g;
• olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• parsley – 1 bunch (can be replaced with cilantro);
• lemon – 0.5 pcs.;
• salt;
• ground black pepper.

How to do:

1. Pierce the eggplants through (the most convenient way is with a sharp knitting needle) in several places. Place in cold water, salt well and leave for 30 minutes.
2. Generously coat the grill grate with half the olive oil. Place eggplants on it along with whole tomatoes.
3. Fry vegetables over coals, turning regularly. When the peel turns black, remove from the grill into a durable plastic bag.
4. Seal the bag tightly. Leave for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the vegetables and peel them. Then chop it finer with a knife and put it in a separate bowl.
6. Pass the garlic through a garlic press. Finely chop the parsley. Add to chopped vegetables.
7. Squeeze lemon juice. Add the remaining oil, salt and pepper to the sauce container and mix well.

This sauce is usually made with grilled eggplants, fried on the grill. But you can also use fried eggplants from a frying pan or bake them in the oven.

Pepper sauce

Most recipes for eggplant sauce for spaghetti and other dishes include bell peppers. Usually they add a little bit of it – solely for a light flavor.

But in the following recipe for eggplant sauce, much more bell pepper is added, and therefore it is much more noticeable in the taste.

Composition:

• eggplants – 500 g;
• tomatoes – 400 g;
• bell pepper – 400 g;
• dill – 1 bunch;
• garlic – 4 cloves;
• sol – 0.5 h. l.;
• ground black pepper.

Recipe:

1. Wash and thoroughly dry the eggplants, peppers and tomatoes. Wrap each vegetable individually in foil.
2. Place on a baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 250°C. Bake for 40 minutes.
3. Remove and cool. Remove the vegetables from the foil and place in a plastic container (or just a large bowl). Cover tightly and leave until everything has cooled down.
4. Crush the garlic. Finely chop the dill.
5. When the baked vegetables have cooled, peel them. Also chop as finely as possible.
6. Mix all ingredients. Add salt and pepper.

This gravy can be served as sauce for mashed potatoes, buckwheat or boiled rice.

With potato

Eggplant and potato sauce is one of the unusual ways to make eggplant sauce. But the recipe is also quite simple.

Composition:

• eggplants – 300 g;
• potatoes – 400 g;
• tomatoes – 250 g;
• bell pepper – 100 g;
• sunflower oil – 3 tbsp. l.;
• onions (large) – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• water – 100 ml;
• parsley – 1 bunch;
• turmeric – 1 tsp. l.;
• salt;
• ground black pepper.

How to cook:

1. Place the eggplants in water and add a little salt. Leave for 15-20 minutes.
2. Finely chop the onion. Cut potatoes and eggplants into small cubes of the same size.
3. Fry the onion in oil until translucent.
4. Add potatoes. Fry over low heat until half cooked.
5. When the potatoes in the pan become soft, add the eggplants. Fry for another 5-7 minutes.
6. Peel the tomatoes. Finely chop them along with pepper and garlic. Then add all these ingredients to a common frying pan.
7. Add 100 ml of water. To stir thoroughly. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 40-50 minutes.
8. Chop the parsley. Add along with salt and spices. Stir and immediately turn off the heat under the pan.

This eggplant and potato sauce is usually used as a complete dish and simply eaten with bread. It is almost no different from vegetable stew, although it is prepared using a different technology.

You might also be interested in potato gravy recipes with different variations!

Recipe for the winter

Canned eggplant sauce for the winter is another variation in the preparation of this delicious dish. The grams below are designed for 3 jars of 0.5 liters each. It is worth considering this while cooking.

Composition:

• eggplants – 700 g;
• tomatoes – 1000 g;
• bell pepper – 400 g;
• sunflower oil – 60 ml;
• vinegar (9%) – 10 ml;
• garlic – 5 cloves;
• salt (preferably coarsely ground) – 1 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 1 tbsp. L.;
• ground black pepper.

Recipe:

1. Pierce each eggplant through and through in 3-4 places.
2. Place whole eggplants along with peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes until soft.
3. Transfer to a large container. Cover with a lid and leave until cool.
4. Remove the skins from all vegetables, including raw tomatoes. To easily peel tomatoes, keep them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
5. Grind the tomatoes until pureed using a blender or potato masher. Also pass the eggplants and peppers through a blender or meat grinder.
6. Combine chopped vegetables in a large saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil.
7. As soon as everything boils, reduce the heat to low. Boil for 15 minutes.
8. Crush the garlic. Add salt, vinegar, sugar and ground pepper to a common pan. Boil for another 5 minutes.

All that remains is to transfer the hot sauce into sterilized jars and seal with metal lids. Then turn the jars upside down and wrap them in a blanket until they cool.

More Egyptian

A special type of eggplant sauce that many have tried in Egypt and the Maghreb countries. It’s called baba ganoush, an eggplant sauce that resembles caviar but has a different composition.

A similar appetizer is prepared in Turkey, but it is called differently. Using this recipe, you can prepare eggplant sauce like in Egypt – it will turn out very authentic.

Composition:

• eggplants – 500 g;
• sesame – 25 g;
• olive oil – 1 tbsp. l.;
• lemon – 0.5 pcs.;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• water – 1 tbsp. L.;
• parsley – 2 sprigs;
• cilantro – 2 sprigs;
• salt;
• ground pepper (originally red, but can be replaced with black).

Step by step recipe:

1. Bake the whole eggplant for 40-50 minutes (until the skin chars). You can do this in the oven, covering the baking sheet with foil, but it is better to use coals or an open fire.
2. Remove the peel. Squeeze the eggplants a little to release the liquid.
3. Fry sesame seeds in a dry frying pan. Grind into powder (it is most convenient to use a mortar). Add a spoonful of water and stir until smooth.
4. Chop the eggplants as finely as possible. If they are very soft, it’s easier to use a potato masher instead of a knife.
5. Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Add to eggplants.
6. Finely chop the garlic with a knife (this is important). Add it there along with salt and hot pepper. Mix.
7. Remove the leaves from the greens and finely chop them with a knife. Add to the future babaganoush along with olive oil and sesame paste.
8. Mix everything thoroughly until completely homogeneous.

You can add any spices you like to the Egyptian sauce, and you can also garnish with pomegranate seeds. And it is usually served with pita bread or unleavened bread.