This Greek oven-roasted eggplant feta recipe has thick layers of eggplant, delicious tomato sauce, creamy feta cheese, and fresh herbs all baked together for an irresistible dish. You can serve melitzanes me feta (eggplant with feta) as an appetizer, side dish or even a main vegetarian meal with rice, pasta or grilled vegetables.
It’s similar to an eggplant parmesan but Greek-inspired! This easy eggplant recipe uses store-bought tomato sauce to save you time in the kitchen. This recipe can easily be made ahead of time and then assembled as soon as you’re ready to bake it in the oven. Greek baked eggplant with tomato sauce and feta is a delicious Greek dish that can be enjoyed year-round!
RECIPE TIPS
- Slice the Japanese eggplant into 1/2-inch rounds. Salt the eggplant and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. Salting the eggplant will release beads of water from the surface. Before frying the eggplant, dry the eggplant well with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
- If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step when using Japanese or small, young eggplants. If you’re using older, larger eggplants, then salting the eggplant helps it release some bitterness, resulting in a more tender eggplant, so it isn’t as spongy.
- You could substitute feta cheese with shredded mozzarella cheese or parmesan cheese. Drizzle balsamic vinegar glaze (Nonna Pia’s balsamic glaze is my favourite!) over the melted cheese once the eggplant bake comes out of the oven for a little salty and sweet combo!
- Eggplant is like a sponge, so only use a small amount of olive oil when frying, and the frying pan should be hot when you add the eggplant slices. Try not to overcrowd the pan.
INGREDIENT NOTES
Eggplant: The star of the recipe! I’d recommend using small, young eggplants. I love using Japanese eggplant because this type of eggplant is sweeter, smaller, and has a more delicate taste than regular eggplant. You can leave the skin on because the skin will help the eggplant hold its shape while frying and baking. If the eggplant is cut too thin, it will fall apart when frying and baking. You want some thickness to the eggplant so that it holds its shape. While not as necessary with young eggplants, salting the eggplant will remove some bitterness and result in a more tender eggplant.
Tomato sauce: I like using store-bought tomato sauce and adding sautéd onions, garlic and some seasonings. Store-bought tomato sauce saves time because you don’t need to allow it to simmer for 25-30 minutes before covering it with the eggplant. I love using Rao’s tomato basil sauce, but you can use any tomato sauce you like.
If you’re feeling up to it, you can make homemade tomato sauce using fresh Roma tomatoes, vine-on tomatoes or canned Italian whole plum tomatoes. Fresh, bright, juicy red tomatoes would be delicious if tomatoes are in season. If you’re looking for a homemade tomato sauce, you can follow this homemade tomato sauce recipe, but omit the shrimp, anchovy paste and Worcestershire sauce for a vegetarian-friendly sauce.
Feta: I like to purchase a block of feta in brine and then crumble it myself. But you can definitely purchase already crumbled feta. Dodoni and Krinos are my favourite Greek feta brands, but you can choose any type of feta you enjoy!
Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs like parsley or basil add freshness to this recipe. Adding fresh herbs at the end of the cooking process will enhance their flavour. If they’re added too early, their flavour won’t be as strong. In contrast, dried herbs should be added earlier to release more flavour as it cooks.
There’s no need to peel the eggplant before baking or pan-frying. Especially when using small, young eggplants or Japanese eggplants. The skin also holds the eggplant together and prevents them from falling apart when baking or pan-frying.
Japanese eggplants are long, slender eggplants with a deep purple shade. They have thin skin, so they tend to soak up more flavour and cook faster than regular eggplants. Japanese eggplants are more tender, delicate and sweeter compared to regular eggplants.
Salting removes bitter flavours from older eggplants. Nowadays, it’s not as important to salt the eggplant, especially when using young eggplants. But if you have the time, then salting the sliced eggplants for 20-30 minutes will result in a more creamy, tender eggplant.
HOW TO MAKE GREEK BAKED EGGPLANT WITH FETA: STEP BY STEP
STEP 1: Slice and salt the eggplant. Slice the eggplants into approximately 1/2-inch slices. The slices should be similar sizes so that they can cook evenly. Sprinkle salt over the sliced eggplants and let them sit for about 20 minutes. You’ll start to see the eggplants “sweat,” don’t be alarmed, haha. Pat them dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture.
STEP 2: Heat up the tomato sauce. In a large saucepan, sauté the diced white onions for a few minutes on their own. Then add in the garlic and red chilli flakes. Cook together for a few minutes on medium-low heat. Pour in the store-bought tomato sauce, dried oregano, and sugar, and continue to cook for another few minutes.
STEP 3: Pan-fry the eggplant slices. Heat a little olive oil (1/2 teaspoon) in a frying pan and pan-fry the eggplant slices in a single layer on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes on each side. You may need to repeat this process a couple of times to fry all of the eggplant slices, depending on the size of your frying pan. They will continue to cook once they’re baked with the tomato sauce. Place the cooked eggplant on a plate lined with paper towel to remove any excess oil.
STEP 4: Assemble the eggplant dish. Spread a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Then, layer the pan-fried eggplant slices on top of the tomato sauce, sprinkle with feta and parsley and cover with tomato sauce. Repeat this process a second time. Finish off with tomato sauce, feta, and parsley on top. You can also sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the top layer before placing the eggplant dish in the oven.
STEP 5: Bake at 350°F. Place the assembled eggplant dish in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the feta cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Enjoy!
STORING AND SERVING
Leftover eggplant with tomato sauce will last in the fridge for 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container. To reheat, you can place the baked eggplant in the oven. Sprinkle with a little more feta and fresh herbs before popping it in the oven. Or, if you’re in a hurry, you can reheat eggplant with tomato sauce in a frying pan or microwave. Serve with warm, fluffy pita bread or grilled bread, rice, pasta or lemon potatoes for an indulgent appetizer or vegetarian dinner idea!
Vegetarian Dinner Ideas!
- The Best Substitutes For Feta Cheese
- Fasolakia
- Spanakorizo (Greek spinach rice)
- Greek lentil soup (fakes)
- Greek salad
Greek Baked Eggplant With Feta
Equipment
- 8" x 8" baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing the onions and garlic
- 1/2 cup white or yellow onion peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and finely diced
- 1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes optional
- 2 cups store-bought tomato sauce approximately 660 ml. Jar
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 4 Japanese eggplants sliced into ½" slices
- 1 teaspoon salt to sprinkle over sliced eggplants
- 1-2 teaspoons olive oil For frying the eggplants (about ½ teaspoon olive oil for each batch)
- 1/4 cup flat leaf Italian parsley or basil de-stemmed and diced
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- balsamic vinegar glaze optional
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs optional – to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Slice and salt the eggplant. Slice the eggplants into approximately 1/2-inch slices. They should be similar sizes so they can cook evenly. Sprinkle salt over the sliced eggplants and let them sit for 20 minutes. They should start to sweat. After 20 minutes, pat the eggplant slices well with a paper towel.
- Heat the tomato sauce. In a large saucepan, sauté the white onions for a few minutes on their own. Then add in the garlic and red chili flakes. Cook together for a few minutes on medium-low heat. Pour in the store-bought tomato sauce, oregano, sugar, and continue to cook for another few minutes.
- Pan-fry the eggplant slices. Heat up a little bit (½ teaspoon) of olive oil in a frying pan and pan-fry the eggplant slices in a single layer on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes on each side. You may need to repeat this process a couple times depending on the size of your frying pan. The eggplant slices will continue to cook once they're baked with the tomato sauce. Place the cooked eggplant on a plate lined with paper towel to remove any excess oil.
- Assemble the eggplant dish. Spread a little bit of tomato sauce on the bottom of an 8"x8" baking dish. Add one layer of eggplant slices, feta cheese and parsley. Then repeat this step again. Finish off with tomato sauce, feta and parsley on top. You can also sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the top layer.
- Bake at 350°F. Place the assembled eggplant dish in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the feta cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you’re in a hurry, you can skip salting the eggplants when using Japanese or small, young eggplants. If you’re using older, larger eggplants, then salting the eggplants helps it release some bitterness, resulting in a more tender eggplant, so it isn’t as spongy.
- You could substitute feta cheese with shredded mozzarella cheese or parmesan cheese.
- This is optional, but you can drizzle balsamic vinegar glaze over the melted cheese once the eggplant bake comes out of the oven for a little salty and sweet combo!
- Eggplant is like a sponge, so only use a small amount of olive oil when frying. The frying pan should be hot when you add in the eggplant slices. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
Nutrition
Date Published: August 25, 2023
Simple Greek Baked Eggplant Feta Recipe With Tomato Sauce
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