Mediterranean Eggplant Tomato Bake Recipe (2024)

This Mediterranean eggplant (aubergine) and tomato recipe is a hearty yet healthy meal.

The roasted eggplant combines with the earthy spices in the tomato mixture and cheeses that really melt in your mouth. It’s so easy to make and as it can be ready in 45 minutes with little effort, it makes for a perfect midweek meal.

Why You Should Try This Recipe

• It’s a hearty vegetarian dish that’s great for dinner. If you’re following the Mediterranean diet, you know that should be trying to eat more vegetables and generally consuming less meat. However, sometimes vegetarian meals just don’t fill you up and don’t feel like a proper meal. This one is hearty yet healthy and flavorsome.
• It’s full of flavor. This comes out similar to that of a lasagna, but the extra spices and herbs add extra layers of flavor. We often end up using too much salt in our food to add extra flavor, but using Mediterranean spices and such negates much of the need to flavor excessively with salt.
• It’s easily customizable to what you have on hand. Got a spare zucchini you need to get rid of? Throw it in. Want to spice it up a little with some paprika, or don’t want to buy the fresh herbs? No problem. As long as you get the base right with the eggplant, canned tomatoes, cheese and herbs, you can make so many variations work.
• It’s easy to make and ready within 45 minutes. The bulk of the recipe is essentially baking the eggplant circles, cooking the vegetables on a pan, then putting them together and baking some more. More than half the time is just waiting for the everything to bake together.

Ingredients (+Substitutes)

• Eggplant (aubergine) – 1 large eggplant will do, or 2 small ones. Try and choose eggplants with smooth, shiny skin that are the same color throughout, as these will be the best ones. If you want to add more veg, then you can add a zucchini (courgette) with the eggplant as well.
• Onion + mushrooms – these are the chopped veggies that are sauteed in the olive oil and spices. Feel free to add some leftovers veggies if you have them to – this is the perfect time to add them! Some extra spinach, Chickpeas can give a nice protein boost if you like them.
• Garlic – we’ve used 2 cloves, 1 for the eggplant circles and 1 with the onions. You can also use granules instead – this will save a bit of time too.
• Extra virgin olive oil – you’ll need 1 for the plan and then 1 for drizzling on the eggplant before they roast. If you want to use less oil, then try using a sprayer for the roasted eggplant slices instead. Drizzling the olive oil can result in too much oil being added, but you still get the nice browning effect with the sprayer with less oil and fewer calories.
• Canned chopped tomatoes –these act as the base of the veggie mixture and bring everything together. They can be bitter, hence why you you can add a pinch of sugar to negate it.
• Cheeses – we used parmesan and goat’s cheese in this recipe, but you can use whatever cheese you have on hand. I like combining parmesan with another soft cheese for a real Greek way of cooking. If you want something with fewer saturated fats, go with a lighter cheese like mozzarella.
• Eggs – these give the lovely crust at the top of the bake. If you’re looking to freeze the bake, then it can be worth leaving the egg out of the recipe. You can also substitute breadcrumbs for the top layer instead of eggs.
• Spices and herbs – we’ve used dried paprika, oregano and thyme, and fresh basil in this recipe. Oregano and thyme work really well together, plus the fresh basil and tomatoes are always a match made in heaven (dried basil works too). The paprika adds an extra kick. However, if you don’t have these spices on hand, feel free to experiment. Anything from Italian seasoning (or this Italian seasoning substitute) to balsamic vinegar can work in the tomato sauce.

How to Make Mediterranean Eggplant Tomato Bake (Step-By-Step Instructions)

Step 1 – Preheat the grill to 400F/200C. Cut the eggplant into thin circles (½ inch width) and place them in a single layer on a baking tray.

Step 2 – On the eggplant circles, drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil, crushed garlic and season with salt and pepper. Flip the eggplant circles and repeat for the other sides (adding the other 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper). Grill for 15 minutes in total, flipping the eggplant half way through. They should be a lovely, golden color once finished.

Extra notes – if you want to minimize the amount of olive oil on your eggplant, you can also brush the eggplant with olive oil. Don’t skimp on the olive oil though, as this gives it it’s nice browning.

Step 3 – Whilst the eggplant circles are being grilled, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil at a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 or minutes until translucent.

Step 4 – Add the crushed garlic and chopped mushrooms to the pan. Cook for an extra 3 minutes.

Step 5 – Add the canned tomatoes, thyme, oregano and paprika, and a pinch of sugar. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adding a pinch of sugar helps neutralize the acidity in the canned tomatoes.

Step 6 – Add the tomato puree at the end.

Step 7 – After 15 minutes, remove the eggplant from the oven. Place a few eggplant circles at the bottom of an ovenproof dish, then add a layer of the tomato sauce. Add some extra parmesan, torn basil leaves, then season. Add another layer of eggplant, then again, the tomato sauce and seasoning, and basil leaves.

Step 8 – Beat the eggs and pour over the top. Sprinkle any remaining parmesan and goat’s cheese, then bake for 20 minutes. The top should be golden.

Step 9 – Serve with a side of green salad or bread.

Extra Cooking Tips

• If you have the time, try cooking the eggplant slices with a griddle pan. You can get some lovely texture on the eggplant slices if you cook them for 5-7 minutes on each side. The problem is that this can be quite time-consuming, so we prefer putting it under the grill instead so that you can get started cooking the tomato mixture.
• You can remove the bitterness in the eggplant before you start.Cut up the eggplant slices, sprinkle with salt and leave in a large colander in a sink or over a bowl. Leave for 30 minutes to an hour, then rinse and dry them. This draws out the water and makes them a lot more tender.

What to Serve With this Recipe

It’s definitely filling enough on it’s own, so you can serve without anything else. However, it comes out similar to a lasagna, so you can easily pair it with some other recipes.

We’re big fans of the Mediterranean diet and eating healthily, so this is a great chance to add some extra veggies to your dish (or if you’re feeling extra indulgent, some garlic bread).

Try this delicious recipes to add extra veggies:

• Steamed green beans
• Roasted broccolini
• Roasted tomatoes
• Antipasto
• Green salad

Other Recipes to Try

Eggplant is such a great ingredient to cook with – it’s versatile andworks in so many different ways whether it’s roasted, stuffed, or fried. We’ve used in our eggplant shakshuka and baba ganoush recipes and I’m sure many more in the future.

However, if you’re looking for similar recipes to this Mediterranean eggplant tomato bake recipe, here are our recommendations:

• Greek moussaka (eggplant ‘lasagna’)
• Papoutsakia (greek stuffed eggplant)
• Melitzanes tiganites (fried eggplant)
• Grilled Ratatouille Tartines

Want More Delicious, Mediterranean Style Recipes?

If you’ve cooked this recipe, be sure to leave a comment or review! But if you’re looking for more:

1. Find more Mediterranean-style recipes on our website.
2. Try our free 7 day Mediterranean diet plan with 20 recipes.
3. Get our 4-week Mediterranean diet plan, Med in 28 plan, that makes following the Mediterranean diet a breeze!