Baby eggplant, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic
Eggplant parmesan is my go-to staple at any neighborhood Italian restaurant, and I’m never disappointed. Covered with oozing cheese and sauce, fried eggplant is down-right delicious. (Of course, what wouldn’t be covered with cheese and sauce?) I’m also a fan of eggplant rolatini, which is usually long slices of eggplant, rolled around herb-seasoned ricotta cheese, and topped with sauce and cheese. Served in a gratin dish with bread for dipping, this is a fabulous appetizer. On a recent visit to CostCo, I spied these adorable baby eggplants. I snatched them up and a ball of fresh mozzarella and created this home-version of eggplant parmesan. My cherry tomato plant has been producing like mad, so I decided to make a quick “baked” tomato sauce with them–plus some garlic for extra flavor. The result was absolutely wonderful. First, I sliced the baby eggplants lengthwise, then sprinkled both sides of the slices with salt to release some of the moisture. I got 5 slices per eggplant. I let them sit on a parchment lined baking sheet for about …