Japanese Style Double Eggplant Pasta Recipes

ROASTED JAPANESE EGGPLANT WITH CRUSHED TOMATO, PECORINO AND THYME

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Peel the eggplant and place in a roasting pan or dish. Coat eggplant with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and light golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• While the eggplant cooks, hand-crush the tomato in a medium bowl and add garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining olive oil and thyme sprigs. Stir to combine.
• When eggplant is tender and light golden brown, add tomato mixture to the roasting pan, and roast for another 10 minutes.
• Scatter with pecorino and roast for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted.
• Transfer to a serving dish, including the pan drippings, and serve hot.

EGGPLANT WITH GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the canola oil in a skillet over high heat. Cook and stir the eggplant until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the water, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder. Cover and simmer until all the water is absorbed. Meanwhile, mix sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, and oyster sauce in a bowl until sugar and cornstarch have dissolved. Stir sauce into the eggplant, making sure to evenly coat the eggplant. Cook until the sauce has thickened.

SHEET PAN ROASTED JAPANESE EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray.
• Slice eggplant into 1-inch thick slices, then quarter the slices. Chop onion in half, then quarter the halves.
• Place eggplant and onion on the prepared sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with garlic, salt, and pepper. Toss with your hands until well coated.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and tender, about 40 minutes, tossing halfway through.

JAPANESE EGGPLANT, TERIYAKI STYLE

Steps:

• Heat broiler.
• Using a sharp knife, lightly score eggplant flesh in a criss-cross pattern.
• Arrange the eggplant skin side up in a single layer on a non-stick broiler pan.
• Lightly brush with half the oil; broil 4 inches away from heat source for 3 minutes or until dimpled but not charred.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine soy sauce, sugar and mirin.
• Turn eggplant slices over and brush with remaining oil; broil 1 minute.
• Brush with soy sauce mixture; broil 1 more minute more until eggplant is tender when it's pierced with a knife.
• Sprinkle with scallions before serving.

JAPANESE COUNTRY-STYLE EGGPLANT (NASU NO INAKA-NI)

Steps:

• Score Asian eggplants lenthwise every half inch. (If using regular eggplant, cut off ends and then cut remainder into 1" cubes, but do no peel.).
• Put all ingredients in a sturdy pot and stir to coat.
• Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so that eggplant cooks thoroughly (until it becomes tender).
• Serve hot or cold.