It’s extremely hot again today, so I thought of cooking eggplants and tomatoes with tuna sauce.
Truly delicious! A very simple dish to prepare, made with thin slices of grilled eggplant, fresh tomatoes, and a creamy tuna-based sauce with capers, anchovies, and hard-boiled eggs.
A fresh recipe ideal as an appetizer, but also as a second course, that wins everyone over with its goodness!
It’s really hot outside, and I need to cook something fresh for dinner. I check the fridge and find two beautiful eggplants and some hearty beefsteak tomatoes.
In my pantry, I always have canned tuna, I have eggs, so I think I’ll make a sort of carpaccio with grilled eggplants, then alternate the slices of eggplants and tomatoes and dress with homemade tuna sauce with tuna and hard-boiled eggs.
I must say the dish turned out well and was appreciated; it was devoured. Its fresh and intense flavor makes it perfect for the hottest days.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4/6
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 205.56 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 11.32 (g) of which sugars 3.34 (g)
- Proteins 12.51 (g)
- Fat 12.67 (g) of which saturated 2.73 (g)of which unsaturated 3.01 (g)
- Fibers 2.79 (g)
- Sodium 1,362.57 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Eggplants and Tomatoes with Tuna Sauce
- 2 eggplants (large)
- 3 beefsteak tomatoes (large)
- as needed salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch chives
- 3 eggs
- 5.3 oz canned tuna in oil (drained weight)
- 1 teaspoon salted capers
- 2 fillets anchovies in oil
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Half lemon (juice)
- salt
- pepper
Tools
- Grill Pan
- Immersion Blenders
- Colander
- Mandoline
- Saucepan
Steps for Eggplants and Tomatoes with Tuna Sauce
Eggplants need to be purged for 3 important reasons:
To remove the bitter aftertaste. To absorb less oil. To salt them evenly.
There are two main and fairly quick methods to purge the eggplants.
Put the eggplants under dry salt. Or soak the eggplants in water with salt.
In this preparation, I used the first method.
To purge eggplants with water and salt, you will need to slice the eggplants.
Take a large bowl, fill it with cold water, add a handful of salt and stir a little to dissolve it. Immerse the eggplants.
They will tend to float, so put a weight on them to push them under the water.
Wait for an hour, and your eggplants are ready for any preparation. Just squeeze them between your palms to remove excess water.
(If instead, you want to adopt the first method, here’s how it’s done. To purge eggplants with salt, you need to slice the eggplants. Get a colander and salt, make a layer of eggplants and a layer of salt, a layer of eggplants and a layer of salt, until all are covered. Let them rest like this for half an hour, up to an hour, then rinse them and squeeze a bit with your hands to remove excess water.)
After half an hour, pat the eggplant slices dry with kitchen paper and grill them (on the grill pan), on both sides, for about 3 – 4 minutes.
Let them cool.
First of all, put 3 eggs in a saucepan with cold water, bring to a boil, and once boiling, cook for 9 minutes.
Once the cooking time is over.
Drain the eggs, slightly crack the shells, just enough to crack them, and cool them in cold water.
By doing so, when they are cooled down, the shells will come off more easily.
Meanwhile, desalinate the capers in cold running water, so they lose the excess salt.
In a blender, put the well-drained tuna, the hard-boiled eggs, 2/3 anchovy fillets broken into pieces, 1 teaspoon of capers, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice.
Blend everything for 1/2 minutes, then check the consistency.
Wash the tomatoes, dry them, and slice them.
Alternate grilled eggplants with the tomato slices.
Cover the eggplants with tuna sauce and finish with a sprinkle of freshly chopped chives.
Enjoy your meal.
Tips
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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I also use the tuna sauce on zucchini?
Yes, yes, it’s also excellent with roasted peppers as a sort of rolls.
Do I really have to use extra virgin olive oil?
You can also use olive oil.
