Grilled Eggplant and Sweet Peppers (Antipasto bis di Peperoni e Melanzane)
All summer, Roman markets are filled with beautiful eggplants and peppers, trucked in from nearby farms. The eggplants can be chubby and pale violet to white or sleek and near black. The sweet bell peppers are green, yellow or red and big, often weighing 1 lb. or more each. This recipe pairs the two vegetables because they both do well on the grill and are happy partners—passed with good bread and perhaps slices of mozzarella di bufala—at terrazzo parties, but don’t hesitate to prepare them separately. Both vegetables also make an excellent side dish.
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
What these numbers assume — 10 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Eggplant | 1 cup cubed (82g) | 35 |
| Yellow Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Oregano | 1 tsp dried (1.8g) | 5 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Basil | 5 leaves fresh (2.5g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves
- About 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 3 red or yellow bell peppers
- 1 medium-large eggplant, preferably light skinned and round, unpeeled, cut crosswise into slices 3/8 inch thick
- 1 tsp. chopped fresh herb, such as oregano, flat-leaf parsley or basil (optional)
- Salt, preferably freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)