Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Tomatoes

Name: Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Tomatoes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 large eggplant, cut into a 3/4” dice Salt and Pepper; 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 medium carrot, cut into a 1/4” dice; 1 celery stalk, in a 1/4” dice; 1 medium onion, finely diced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 8 ounces orzo; 1 teaspoon tomato paste; 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock; 1 to 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped; 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest; 4 ounces mozzarella; 1 1/2 ounces parmesan; 3 medium tomatoes, diced

Serves 4

From Deb Perelman

eggplant tomatoes

Method

All I have to say about this recipe is YUM! Lots of ingredient prep, but what a delicious dinner!

1
Salt your eggplant generously and place in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, rinse it and pat it dry.
2
Preheat your oven to 350. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and eggplant. Fry for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer them to a paper towel to drain. Add the celery and carrots to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, then add the onion and garlic. Cook these ingredients together for 5 minutes more on medium heat. Stir in the orzo and tomato paste and stir it all together, cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the oregano, mozzarella, parmesan, tomatoes, fried eggplant, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper to taste and the vegetable stock. Mix this all together well.
3
Transfer the mixture to an 8×11 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Summertime comfort food at its best!
4
Recipe via smittenkitchen.com

From the farm's kitchen

View the original recipe