Description
A light and customizable take on pizza using eggplant as the base, perfect for satisfying comfort food cravings without the heaviness of traditional crust.
Ingredients
Eggplant Preparation
- 1 large eggplant (Or 2 medium eggplants.)
- Salt (For sweating the eggplant.)
- Olive oil
Pizza Toppings
- Marinara or pizza sauce
- 1 cup Mozzarella (Shredded or fresh slices.)
- Parmesan (Optional but recommended.)
- Italian seasoning or oregano
- Garlic powder (Optional.)
- Favorite toppings (e.g., pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, olives, onion, basil) (Customize to preference.)
Instructions
Preparation
- Slice the eggplant into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Lay the slices on a baking sheet lined with paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.
- Sprinkle both sides with salt and let them sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Blot them well.
Baking Eggplant
- Preheat your oven to 425 F. Brush or lightly rub both sides of the slices with olive oil and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes, flip, then bake another 10 to 15 minutes until they are tender and slightly golden.
Assembling and Final Baking
- Remove the tray from the oven. Add a spoon of sauce to each slice, followed by mozzarella and your preferred toppings. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and parmesan, if desired.
- Return to the oven for 8 to 12 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. For browner cheese, broil for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely.
Notes
For the best results, follow the sweating step to avoid soggy eggplant. Use thicker sauce and avoid overloading toppings. Customize with various toppings to create different flavor profiles.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: dinner, Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean