Roasted Eggplant Boats with Herbed Ricotta & Cherry Tomatoes
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Roast the Eggplant Boats 🍆🔥
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Cut your eggplants in half lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to score the flesh in a diagonal diamond pattern, being careful not to cut through the outer skin.
- Brush the flesh generously with 2 tbsp of olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.
- Place them cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes until the skin is wrinkled and the inside flesh is completely tender and golden brown.
Step 2: Blister the Cherry Tomatoes 🍅🍳
- While the eggplant roasts, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Toss in the 2 cups of cherry tomatoes and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. You want them to soften, slightly wrinkle, and blister beautifully, just like the juicy red tomatoes pictured in.
Step 3: Whip Up the Herbed Ricotta 🥣🌿
- In a medium bowl, combine the 1 ½ cups of ricotta cheese, ¼ cup of grated Parmesan, minced garlic, chopped parsley, and basil.
- Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Whisk vigorously with a fork until the mixture is light, creamy, and flecked with green herbs.
Step 4: Assemble the Boats 🎨✨
- Once the eggplants are cool enough to handle, use the back of a spoon to gently press down the center of the soft flesh, creating a “boat” or well for the filling.
- Spread a generous, thick layer of the herbed ricotta mixture into each hollowed-out eggplant center.
- Top the ricotta with a mountain of your warm, blistered cherry tomatoes, mirroring the rustic, abundant presentation in .
