Eggplants in Tomato Sauce with Onions, Walnuts, and Cheese

Enjoy with labne, thick yogurt, or feta cheese, always at room temperature, preferably a day after you bake them.

Serves 4

4 eggplants (1 1/2 to 2 pounds / 680 to 910 g total)

Salt

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

3 medium onions (about 2/3 pound / 300 g total), halved and thinly sliced

3 bell peppers (green, yellow or red), halved, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch (6-mm) strips

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic

1 to 3 teaspoons Maraş pepper, or pepper flakes, to taste

1 teaspoon cumin

1 cup (100 g) walnuts, toasted and coarsely ground

1 ½ cup (150 g) coarsely grated graviera, pecorino, smoked cheddar, or a combination

1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into 8 slices

1 ½  cups (360 ml) Basic Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)

 About one cup chopped parsley, and extra sprigs (optional)

Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise, keeping part of the stem. If you have time, score the flesh with a knife, salt generously, and let drain in a colander for 1 hour. Rinse under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Omit this step If you have small eggplants.

Preheat the oven to 400˚F (205°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the eggplant cut side down on the sheet. Brush liberally with olive oil on both sides. Set the baking sheet in the middle of the oven and bake until the eggplants are golden, about 20 minutes. Keep the oven warm.

(You can bake the eggplants 2 to 3 days in advance, cool, and refrigerate).

Warm the olive oil in a deep skillet, add the onions, and sauté until they start to soften 6 to 8 minutes. Add the peppers and sauté for another 2 minutes, then turn down the heat, cover and cook for about 20 min. until very soft. Add the garlic, sauté for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the pepper, cumin, walnuts, and cheese. Toss to mix and taste to adjust the seasoning with more salt if the cheeses are not salty enough.

Choose a baking dish that will hold the eggplants snugly. If you like, line with parchment paper. Brush the pan (or paper) with olive oil and line with the tomato slices. Place the eggplants on the tomatoes. Using a spoon, press into the softened flesh to create indentations for the stuffing.

Fill each eggplant half with the onion-pepper mixture and top with 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce. Pour any remaining sauce around the eggplants. Drizzle the stuffed eggplants with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil and bake for about 40 minutes, or until bubbling and somewhat charred on top.

Let cool for at least 20 minutes. Transfer the eggplants to a serving dish and top each one with a tomato slice from the pan. Garnish with parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.

Basic Tomato Sauce

This is the sauce I use for all kinds of dishes, from pasta to moussaka. The sweet wine balances the tartness of the tomatoes, and the combination of wine, tomatoes, and cinnamon gives the sauce surprising depth of flavor.

Makes about 6 cups (1.4 L), enough for 2 pounds of pasta          

2/3 cup (160 ml) olive oil

2 cups (240 g) finely chopped red onions

Salt

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 cups (360 ml) sweet wine such as Marsala or Mavrodaphne, or more as needed

1 to 2 teaspoons Maraş pepper, or hot pepper flakes, to taste

5 cups (600 g) grated ripe, non-refrigerated tomatoes (from about 3 pounds / 1.4 kg) or two 16-ounce (455-g) cans diced tomatoes with their juice

2 cinnamon sticks

A handful of black currants or Sugar or honey (optional)

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onions and sprinkle with salt. Sauté over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until the onions are radiant. Add the wine and pepper simmer for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, salt to taste, and add the currants or about 1/2-1 tablespoon sugar or honey, to sweeten it, if you like.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes or more, until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and discard the cinnamon sticks.

The sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you want to keep it longer, divide and freeze in containers.