Skillet Suppers
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Tender eggplant slices slow cooked until deeply browned, served in a rich tomato sauce with feta cheese and parsley. [Photographs: Yasmin Fahr]

Note: You're going to want to make a thicker sauce than your typical tomato sauce since it's more of a dressing for the eggplant, so don't be surprised if it takes a little longer than you're used to, especially if you're using fresh tomatoes.

About the Author: Yasmin Fahr is a food lover, writer, and cook. Follow her @yasminfahr for more updates on her eating adventures and discoveries, which will most likely include tomatoes. And probably feta. Happy eating!

Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!

About This Recipe

Yield: Serves 4
Active time: 45 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Italian eggplant, halved and cut into 1/2-inch half moons
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or grated with a microplane (about 2 teaspoons)
  • 2 tablespoon harissa
  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes or 8 to 10 medium tomatoes, quartered
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Procedures

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add as much eggplant as will fit in a single layer and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until well browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining eggplant and 2 more tablespoons of oil. Remove from the pan and set aside.

  2. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the harissa and mix together until combined. Add the tomatoes and adjust the heat until it maintains a vigorous simmer, seasoning with salt and pepper, and breaking apart the tomatoes with a potato masher or wooden spoon once they've softened.

  3. Allow to cook until the tomatoes have broken down, roughly 10 to 12 minutes for canned and 18 to 20 for fresh, seasoning as needed. When the sauce has thickened, add the eggplants back in and stir so that they warm up, then pour into a serving dish or serve out of the pan, top with the feta and parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.