I love trying out new restaurants, and appetizers are a fun way to get a taste of many little things at once. They also happen to be a great source of recipe inspiration for me!
I had an eggplant and burrata dish at an Italian restaurant recently, and it’s been living in my mind rent free for weeks. I needed to create my own rendition STAT. I’m not kidding when I say I could eat this entire recipe by myself.
I normally don’t like eggplant, but this recipe calls for ROASTED eggplant which makes a world of difference. The crisped eggplant is paired with a sweet, home-roasted bell pepper and lots of fresh herbs and spices. The version of this dish that I tried was made with basil and had Italian-centered flavors. In my rendition, I incorporate Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern spices, but you can always change the spices up to your liking.
If you want to experience the dish that inspired this recipe, visit Locanda Sorrento in Campbell, CA and order the Burrata Pulcinella, but this at-home version is sure to be just as satisfying!
Use these photos for reference as you cook your way through the recipe. From left to right: step 2 of recipe, step 5 of recipe, steps 8 & 9 of recipe).
I suggest slicing the bell peppers into thick chunks so that they don’t overcook in the oven. Also, I noticed that the eggplant took a while to coat in spices. It absorbed the olive oil really quickly, making it harder for the spices to stick. The last thing you want is sections of overly seasoned vegetables, so make sure you keep mixing until it looks like all of the pieces are identically coated. Add more olive oil as needed.
I had never diced an eggplant prior to cooking this, so I highly recommend watching this tutorial if you’re in the same boat!
The final result should look something like this! When it’s ready to be served, I suggest dressing it up with more fresh herbs, lemon zest, and a bit of salt and cracked black pepper. Presentation is everything!
Roasted Eggplant & Peppers with Burrata
Equipment
- Oven
- Cutting Board
- Chef's knife
- 2 Large baking sheets second baking sheet optional for more space
- Tinfoil for baking; sub parchment paper or silicone baking sheets
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 large Eggplant diced
- 1 large Red bell pepper roughly sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- Olive oil for roasting vegetables
- 1/3 cup Fresh parsley or cilantro finely chopped
- 2 balls Burrata cheese
- 1 medium Lemon zest and juice
Spices:
- 1.5 tsp Sumac
- 2 tsp Garlic powder
- 2 tsp Cumin
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Roughly slice a bell pepper into 3-5 big pieces.
- Cube the eggplant and season it with a generous glug of olive oil, and add the sumac, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Mix together well until eggplant pieces are evenly coated in seasonings.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and space the eggplant and bell pepper pieces in a single layer. If one baking sheet isn't enough, place the bell pepper slices on a separate sheet.
- Drizzle bell pepper with olive oil, and lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Bake both vegetables at 375°F for 25-30 mins, mixing the eggplant and flipping the pepper slices halfway. Once the eggplant pieces are crispy and can be pierced easily with a fork and the bell pepper slices are soft and golden, take them out of the oven and wait for a few minutes for both to cool.
- Once cooled, dice the roasted bell pepper into small pieces and add them to a bowl with the roasted eggplant pieces.
- Add 1 lemon worth of zest, 1/2 lemon worth of juice, the fresh chopped herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together well.
- Plate the mixture in a spacious bowl, make room for the fresh burrata balls in the middle. Add fresh cilantro or parsley on top. Garnish with more lemon zest and cracked black pepper if desired.
