As a good Neapolitan, sooner or later I had to write the recipe for split eggplants here on my blog, right? Especially because you just need to use a little oil and it becomes a very light side dish.
Besides being vegan and perfect for a diet, it is also very tasty. The preparation is super easy: you can cook the split eggplants in the oven, but if you have an air fryer, you can make them all summer without overheating the kitchen!
Let’s see how I prepare them, and I’ll also leave you some other recipes that might interest you:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Oven, Air Frying
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Autumn
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (about 2 teaspoons)
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste dried oregano
- to taste basil
- to taste salt
- Points per serving = 1 WW point
Tools
- Cutting Board
- Baking Tray
- Knife
- Air Fryer
Steps
Cut the two eggplants in half lengthwise. If they are very “chubby,” you can also remove a slice from the center for use another way. You should get two eggplant halves about 0.8 inches (2cm) thick.
With a sharp knife, score the flesh deeply without cutting through or breaking the skin: you need to make incisions where later we’ll place the tomatoes. I make an incision along the perimeter and then other diagonal cuts in the middle.
Place the eggplants cut-side down on a baking sheet or directly in the air fryer basket. Bake in the oven at 428°F (220°C) for 15-20 minutes or in the air fryer at 356°F (180°C) for about ten minutes. Judge for yourself: the eggplants should just begin to soften and not roast too much.
Take the eggplants and insert the sliced cherry tomatoes into the cuts you made earlier. Try to push the tomatoes as deep as possible! Then you can add the finely chopped garlic clove, salt, and oregano. Finish by drizzling half a teaspoon of oil over each eggplant half.
Put the eggplants back, this time with the cut side facing up, on the baking sheet or in the air fryer basket and cook at 428°F (220°C) in the oven for 25-30 minutes or at 356°F (180°C) in the air fryer for 15-20 minutes, checking the cooking degree.
When you feel with a fork that the flesh is cooked and the tomatoes look well roasted, our split eggplants are ready!
Now you can add some fresh basil pieces to give more fragrance to this side dish and serve at the table!
Or you may not serve them as they are delicious even when cooled, perhaps even better!
What do you think of this recipe? Do you like it? I like it a lot and I must say that I made it often last year, then I forgot it and now I’ll start making split eggplants all summer! Let me know if you liked them and if you maybe make them in another way…
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Storage
You can store the split eggplants in the fridge for at least 3 days. I don’t think it’s a good idea to freeze them, at most you can just do the first phase of cooking and freeze them, then finish the preparation another day.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I also use the oven?
As I explained, yes, whether static or fan-assisted, it’s fine. The only thing is that with the oven it will take more time and you’ll need to set a slightly higher temperature. Also, I don’t have it but I think you can also use the microwave with the crisp function.
Which variety of eggplant should I use?
You can use whichever you prefer. If I lived in Naples, I would use the thin and long ones because they cook faster, and in my opinion, they are tastier. But even the big or round ones are fine: if they are too large, you can always remove a slice from the center that you can use to make, for example, this recipe: Non-fried Eggplants.
