Sheet Pan Eggplant and Tomato Bake is topped with naturally sweet late summer tomatoes and fresh basil. The perfect recipe to use up your favorite end of summer vegetables.
This eggplant and tomato bake is a really great side dish or even main dish. It’s made without any cheese, so it is really nice for your vegan family/friends. It’s dairy-free, sugar free, gluten-free. A great Whole30 recipe idea and you can enjoy if you’re following Paleo or Keto.
If you are Keto and not dairy-free (vegan), feel free to sprinkle on some grated cheese (Parmiggiano-Reggiano or even shredded mozzarella) during last minutes of baking. Vegan/dairy-free…use your favorite vegan mozzarella shreds (or parmesan shreds). But the recipe as it is, is totally clean eating. A simple Italian side or main dish we make all summer long when eggplants are abundant!
Summer isn’t quite over yet and you may have a garden that is bursting with eggplant. In my dreams I have my Calabrian in-law’s garden in Italy that is just magical. When we visit in the summer, my father-in-law goes down every morning just when the sun rises and picks zucchini, the flower, lettuce, cucumbers (the list goes on and on).
Today I’m sharing the perfect recipe to help you use up late summer eggplant you may be lucky to have growing in your backyard. Or maybe even your sweet neighbors have shared their eggplants with you and you’re wondering what to make with them(hey, all I can share are my mangoes and papaya from my backyard). This is an addition to my sheet pan recipe series. Now my husband cannot say I have too many sheet pans!
August and September is when tomatoes are at their peak and I am canning tomato sauce. If I were lucky to be in Italy, I would be helping my mother-in-law make her Calabrian pickled eggplants. I still have jars in my fridge from when they visited us last winter. I have been visiting my favorite local produce market and the eggplants and tomatoes have been used almost every day for lunch or dinner. Luckily, both my kids do like eggplant.
How you make Sheet Pan Eggplant and Tomato Bake
This delicious and healthy dish all comes together on a simple sheet pan. Line the pan with foil paper. Next, add your eggplant slices. Brush the eggplants with a little bit of olive oil. The next step is to add on the tomato mixture. And that’s it! It goes in the oven and bakes away until tender. It could take 45 minutes or even a little longer.
Tips for Making this Eggplant and Tomato Bake
- I used a foil lined sheet pan to make this dish. You could also use a 9″ x 11″ baking dish. If you only have smaller baking dishes, you could use 2 8 ” x 8″ baking dishes. Once it was finished baking, I transferred to a serving plate. But you could leave it on the sheet pan and serve directly from there.
- I used plum tomatoes. You could easily use cherry tomatoes and even heirloom tomatoes would be wonderful.
- I baked these for about 45 minutes, but it could be that yours will need a little more time than that. Every oven is different, so just keep an eye on it and adjust the time if the eggplant is not tender when
- you gently touch with a fork.
- IF you are adding cheese, add it during last minutes of baking time (when the eggplant is tender to the touch with a fork). Broil it for a couple minutes if you need the cheese a little brown (just keep a good eye on it as it could burn very quickly!!)
What to serve with this Sheet Pan Eggplant and Tomato Bake
There are various side dish ideas that go well with this very tasty eggplant dish.
If you are staying totally low-carb, Paleo, Whole30 and Keto, serve it with cauliflower rice, roasted broccoli, or a nice salad. Another idea is spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles (in place of pasta).
If you aren’t Paleo/low-carb or in a Whole30 cycle and you would like to enjoy a more traditional way, serve it with pasta and your favorite tomato sauce. A side of polenta would also be delicious.
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Looking for more eggplant recipes? Check out these:
Originally published September 2020 and updated for content on August 2021.
Sheet Pan Eggplant and Tomato Bake
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants 2.5 lbs total
- 4 cups chopped tomatoes I used plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or heirloom fine to use
- 2 cloves garlic minced, optional in case you are sensitive to garlic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- handful of basil leaves to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prep a sheet pan by lining it with foil paper. You could also use a 9″x11″ baking dish.
- Slice eggplants in half lengthwise and cut crosswise into meat of eggplant. Be sure not to cut through the skin and cube the eggplant, leave the skin intact. The eggplant will still be whole with diagonal cuts.
- Place the eggplant on the foil lined baking sheet (or a 9″x11″ baking dish). Set aside.
- In a small bowl, add the extra-virgin olive oil, tomatoes, garlic (if using) salt, and pepper. Toss together; set aside.
- Brush cut sides of eggplants with olive oil. Add on a bit of salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) and crack on some freshly ground pepper.
- Spoon the tomato mixture over the eggplant. Drizzle on some extra-virgin olive oil around the eggplants (about 1 tablespoon).
- Place the sheet pan (or baking dish) in the oven for around 45 minutes, or until the eggplant flesh is very soft when gently poked with a fork. If needed, brush with olive oil when it is baking.
- Remove from oven.
- Let eggplants rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Sprinkle on some fresh basil before serving, or serve with whole basil leaves.
Notes
IF you would like to add vegan cheese, you could add on top during last minutes of cooking time.
IF you are Keto and not dairy-free, use shredded mozzarella.
You may need to turn on broiler for last minute or so to brown cheese, just keep a very close eye on it.
Colin says
You obviously live in a much warmer place than I. That’s a very simple dish. I am trying different aubergine dishes such as ‘melanzane parmigiana’ Also rolled up aubergine slices stuffed with ricotta and Parmesan smothered in a home made tomato sauce with more Parmesan on top and baked in the oven.
I am next going to try some Middle Eastern dishes using sweet peppers as well as aubergines and tomatoes.
Lora says
Hi Colin, You can still find lovely aubergine in September in Italy; I’m not sure where you live. This particular aubergine dish is for those that are dairy-free/vegan.
Also, I’m very familiar with stuffed and rolled aubergine slices and melanzane alla Parmigiana (make them both quite often).
Since you’re looking for something richer with cheese, go ahead and try out my lasagne di melanzane: https://www.savoringitaly.com/eggplant-lasagne-lasagne-di-melanzane/
Anne says
Really enjoyed this eggplant recipe. It’s nice on its own with a big salad (and I also made it with a side dish of pasta!). 5 STARS!
Lora says
Hi Anne-So happy you enjoyed it! Yes, it goes great with a side dish of pasta and also, a salad! Thank you!