Farmgirl Susan's Easy and Healthy Roasted Eggplant with Red Onion and Sweet Red Peppers

Makes about 3½ cups - Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

The proportions eggplant, onion, and peppers are flexible, so feel free to add more or less depending on your taste and what you have. This amount of vegetables fits nicely on a commercial half size sheet pan.

I've been making this with the classic bell shaped, Italian dark purple eggplants, but I'm sure other varieties of eggplant would work well, too.

I like my roasted vegetables nice and soft and browned, but if you let them cook too much, the eggplant skin starts to toughen. Keep in mind that the eggplant, onion, and peppers all really shrink down while roasting.

The weights listed are for the prepped, cubed vegetables.

6 cups 1-inch diced eggplant (about 20 ounces or 3 medium Italian bell shaped)
2 cups 1-inch diced sweet red peppers (about 8 ounces or 2 large bell peppers)
1½ cups 1-inch diced red onion (about 8 ounces or 1 medium large)
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1½ teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Optional additions (add after roasting vegetables):
Chopped fresh parsley
Chopped fresh basil
Crumbled or small diced feta cheese
Finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
Small halved cherry tomatoes
A handful or two of organic garbanzo beans
A few drops of Sriracha or other hot sauce
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Serving ideas:
—Serve over hot rice
—Put the hot roasted vegetables in a large bowl and toss with chopped fresh parsley and basil, a little more olive oil (if desired), a splash of balsamic vinegar, and some small halved cherry tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste and serve over hot pasta, topped with freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese.

Heat the oven to 400°.

Use a large spoon to toss the eggplant, pepper, and onion together in a large bowl and drizzle evenly with the olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and toss well.

Spread the vegetables on a heavy duty rimmed baking sheet lined with unbleached parchment paper. Roast until lightly browned and soft, about 45 to 60 minutes, tossing twice during cooking. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot or at room temperature, as is or gussied up as desired. The plain roasted vegetables will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days. (They may not look real pretty, but they'll still taste great.)

Recipe source: FarmgirlFare.com