ISRAELI COUSCOUS, EGGPLANT AND TOMATO GRATIN

Israeli Couscous, Eggplant and Tomato Gratin image

This is an eggplant Parmesan of sorts on top of a bed of Israeli couscous. If you've made fresh tomato sauce over the summer or you're still getting wonderful tomatoes at the farmers' market, use fresh tomato sauce; otherwise, use canned tomatoes for your marinara sauce. You can substitute cooked grains for the Israeli couscous; if you don't tolerate gluten, try the recipe using cooked brown rice instead. I like to use Japanese or baby Italian eggplants for this.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

Previous Next

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds eggplant (2 medium globe eggplants or 4 to 6 smaller or Japanese eggplants), sliced into rounds, about 1/3 inch thick
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil (plus additional for oiling the foil and baking dish)
2 cups cooked Israeli couscous (see below). You can also use regular couscous or any other cooked grain.
2 cups fresh tomato sauce or marinara sauce made from canned tomatoes
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup, tightly packed)
Torn or slivered basil leaves for garnish

Steps:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat foil generously with olive oil. Toss eggplant slices with salt to taste and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Line baking sheet with the slices in a single layer (you may need 2 baking sheets, or do this in batches). Place in oven and roast for 15 minutes. Eggplant will look dry on surface but should be soft when pierced with a knife. Remove from oven and, wearing oven mitts, carefully fold the foil up in half over the eggplant and crimp edges to create a sealed packet. Allow eggplant to steam inside the packet for another 15 minutes (you can cook couscous during this time). Turn oven down to 375 degrees.
Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Place cooked Israeli couscous in a bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Spoon into baking dish in an even layer.
Remove eggplant slices from foil packet (they should be thoroughly tender), and layer on top of couscous, overlapping slices slightly. Cover with remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle on Parmesan cheese. Drizzle on remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place in oven and bake 30 minutes, until browned and bubbling. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with torn or slivered basil leaves just before serving.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 361, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 56 grams, Fat 10 grams, Fiber 8 grams, Protein 13 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 625 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams