Bobby Flay’s eggplant bolognese recipe is amazing! I saw him prepare it on tv and it looked delicious, so it was the first recipe I made from his new Bobby at Home cookbook in stores now. Thanks to Clarkson Potter for sending me a copy.
With 165+ recipes, Bobby Flay opens up his home and shares his bold, approachable style of cooking for family and friends, along with his no-nonsense, essential advice for home cooks.
I always appreciate a chef who makes approachable recipes and Bobby Flay does that so well. His new Bobby at Home cookbook includes everyday favorites–from pan-seared meats and hearty pastas to shareable platters of roasted veggies, bountiful salads, and casual, homey desserts.
Bobby’s recipes will help you bring exciting new flavors to your home-cooked meals.
To make the eggplant bolognese, you’ll start by peeling half the skin from the eggplant, slicing it into rounds and then dicing it. Don’t worry about removing the seeds.
Saute the eggplant briefly, then transfer to a cookie sheet to bake in the oven. It’ll finish cooking and become very soft.
Make the sauce by sauteeing carrots, onions, celery, garlic and chile flakes. Add a dry red wine and reduce completely. Then add whole tomatoes and cook the sauce on the stove until it all breaks down.
Stir in the eggplant and spices and you’re ready to eat!
Serve over hot, cooked pasta (I used rigatoni) and enjoy!
Try Bobby’s kale salad with onions and chickpeas too!
Eggplant Bolognese by Bobby Flay
Ingredients
- 6 baby eggplants or 1 large globe eggplant
- ½ cup olive oil
- pinch Kosher salt
- pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large Spanish onion finely diced
- 2 medium carrots finely diced
- 1 small celery stalk finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped to a paste with the side of a chef’s knife and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon Calabrian chile flakes depending on how spicy you like it
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 28 ounce cans plum tomatoes, with their juices
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Peel half the skin from the eggplants in 1-inch sections (so the eggplant looks striped). Slice each eggplant crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds and cut each round into ½-inch dice.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add half the eggplant, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring continuously, until the eggplant takes on some color and becomes soft, about 5 minutes. Spread the eggplant on a baking sheet in an even layer. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil to the pan and repeat with the remaining eggplant.
- Transfer the eggplant to the oven and bake until very soft, turning once, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chile flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Stir in the wine and bring to a boil. Cook until the liquid has completely reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften and break down, about 15 minutes. Using a potato masher, coarsely mash the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes more.
- Fold the eggplant, basil, and oregano into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Use immediately, or let cool to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month..
