Italian sautéed eggplants, also known as melanzane al funghetto is a delicious dish made with simple ingredients like eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, and basil. It's packed with Mediterranean flavors and perfect to serve as a side, topping, or condiment for pasta.
Place the eggplant cubes in a large colander inside a bowl and sprinkle with salt.
Place a heavy dish on top and let them rest for about 1 hour.
After 1 hour, rinse the eggplant with cold water. Pat dry them with kitchen paper towels to remove excess moisture.
In a sauté pan, heat plenty of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.
Add the eggplant cubes and sauté for 15 minutes or until they’re tender and slightly golden brown.
Remove the sautéed eggplant and drain the excess oil as much as possible.
In the same pan, sauté the garlic cloves with a bit of oil for 1-2 minutes or until nicely golden.
Add the tomatoes and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook stirring constantly for 3 minutes over medium-high heat or until you see the tomatoes start to release their juices.
Return the eggplant to the pan and add fresh basil leaves tearing them with your hands.
Mix well and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes stirring constantly. Adjust seasonings to taste and turn off the heat.
Serve warm (not hot!) or at room temperature.
Notes
Don’t overcrowd the pan, if necessary, cook the eggplant in batches to avoid steaming rather than sautéing.
Heat your pan over medium-high to high heat before adding the oil. This helps in achieving a nice sear and prevents the eggplant from becoming too mushy.
At first, you will notice that the eggplant absorbs all the oil and you will feel the need to add more but don’t. As the eggplant cook, you will notice that it will release the oil that was absorbed at the beginning.