Grilled Eggplant & Risotto Torte Recipe
Knowing that I wanted to stick to the theme of rich, creamy comfort food, I went with a layering of creamy risotto and grilled eggplant. I did something a little different in my risotto base by starting with a saute of fresh pico de gallo in place of onions. Why? So weird, isn’t it? I simply had pico de gallo made fresh a few days earlier that I needed to use. And since the risotto base is usually an onion saute I just improvised. The tomato in the pico de gallo mixed with garlic gave the risotto a familiar sweetness you often find in a hearty pasta dish. The eggplant was lightly rubbed with minced garlic and rolled in breadcrumbs before being grilled. The two main components came together to make a wonderful casserole-like dish that you can heartily sink your teeth into on a cold, wintry day. It satisfies and delights all in the same bite.
- 6 eggplant slices, 1/3-inch thick (they will shrink down in thickness)
- 1/2 clove of minced garlic for rubbing down the eggplant slices
- 2.5 cups of creamy risotto
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- Rub the eggplant slices with the minced garlic, then grill the eggplant slices on both sides. Allow the grilled eggplant to cool.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and coat your spring-form pan with cooking spray. Assemble your torte by first layering three slices of the grilled eggplant on the bottom of the spring-form pan. You may want to cut the eggplant slices into halves to fully cover the bottom. Follow with a layer of the creamy risotto. Repeat layers until your fillings have finished. Top with breadcrumbs and bake for 30 minutes.
Member recipes are not tested by the CHOW food team.
