Eight ingredients, plus pantry staples. That's all it takes to make an entire meal from scratch. Add in a good bottle of wine for less than $20, and you've got a feast for family or friends.
This pantry-friendly eggplant flatbread recipe is perfect for warm summer nights when you’d like to get out of the kitchen and spend more time outside eating (and drinking) with good friends. In fact, if you have a grill, you could actually prepare the whole meal outside.
Grill a couple pounds of sliced eggplant (no need to peel it) until tender and silky. No grill? No problem. Use a grill pan or cast iron skillet on the stove. Toss the eggplant in a tangy mixture of lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sugar and fragrant fresh mint, then let that whole mess marinate for at least 15 minutes, then toss in sliced red onion.
From there, dinner’s basically done. Stir together lemon zest and Greek yogurt, slather that over warmed store-bought flatbread, then top with the eggplant mixture. This simple, vegetarian meal comes together in less than an hour. Of course, if you’re craving more heft for the evening, since the grill’s already hot, you could toss on a pound or two of other protein, like sausage or boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced, and add that to your flatbread as well.
All that’s left to address is the wine. Scarbolo Pinot Grigio Friuli Ilramato 2020, a ramato-style Pinot Grigio from Italy that’s not quite orange wine (yet not quite rosé or white either), is one of those bottles that easily makes the transition from afternoon sipping to the dinner table. Slightly floral, with notes of stone fruit, the wine won’t overpower the light meal. At 88 points and $15, this is a bottle I’ll pick up all summer long—for dinner parties, beach picnics and everything in between.
Marinated Eggplant Flatbreads with Lemony Yogurt
Pair with a skin-contact wine with notes of citrus and honey to play off the tangy eggplant and rich yogurt sauce—or, as we’ve done here, Scarbolo Pinot Grigio Friuli Ilramato 2020 (88 points, $15).
Prep time: 35 minutes
Active cooking time: 10 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Approximate food costs: $14
Ingredients
- 1 large lemon
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- Kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for the grill
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano (or 2 tablespoons freshly chopped)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 1/2 pounds (about 3 medium) globe eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (or half moons if larger than 3 inches wide)
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves, divided
- 1 small red onion, halved through the root end and very thinly sliced
- 6 to 8 store-bought flatbreads or naan
Preparation
1. Zest the lemon (about 1 tablespoon) into a small bowl. Stir in the yogurt and 1 tablespoon of water. The mixture should be spreadable, not runny. Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
2. Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for direct medium heat, 350–375º F, and lightly oil the grates (or heat an oiled grill pan on the stove over medium-high).
3. In a large bowl, juice the lemon (2 to 3 tablespoons), then whisk in the vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, sugar, oregano, a big pinch of salt and the red pepper flakes, if using.
4. Place the eggplant in a medium bowl with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with a couple big pinches of salt. When the grill or grill pan is ready, grill the eggplant slices, turning every couple minutes, until tender and starting to char, 5 to 8 minutes. If assembling and serving the flatbreads right away, leave the grill on. (If using a grill pan on the stove, turn off the heat until you’re ready to warm the flatbread.)
5. Transfer the warm eggplant to the lemon juice mixture, along with a handful of the mint. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 15 minutes (or refrigerate for up to 24 hours). Transfer to a serving platter and top with remaining mint.
6. When you’re ready to assemble the flatbread, toss the onion slices into the eggplant mixture. Heat the flatbreads (2 per serving) on the grill or grill pan over medium (or in a 300º F oven) until warm. Assemble the flatbreads with a smear of lemony yogurt and a scoop of eggplant. Serves 3 to 4.
