Eggplant, Tomato & Chickpea Casserole

[Twitchin Kitten]

The credit for this goes to a recipe found on The New York Times cooking pages.  I made this last night and we had it as a main course. You can serve this over pasta, rice or just plain the way it is. Great as a side dish to meat as well. This is versatile so you just let your imagination fly and experiment with how you use this.

Eggplan, Tomato $ Chickpea Casserole
by: Martha Rose Shulman

calories: 120 per cup (8oz)

Serves 8

ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant or 2 medium (1 pound total), peeled if desired, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced about 1/2 inch thick
  
• Salt to taste
  
• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 large onion, sliced thin across the grain
  
• 2-4 crushed garlic cloves (to taste)
  
• 1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes (I used San Marzano tomatoes)
  
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  
• pinch of sugar (or whatever sweetener you use)
  
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1 sprig of basil (or 1 tsp dried if you can't find fresh)
  
• 1 15 oz can chick peas, drained
  
• 3 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley (optional) - I added mine into the individual dishes
  

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush the foil with olive oil.
Place the eggplant slices on the foil, sprinkle with salt and brush each slice lightly with olive oil. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
NOTE: I had to use two sheets for this. you want to keep the eggplant in a single layer.
Remove from the heat and carefully fold the foil in half over the eggplant (or just cover it with another piece of foil). Crimp the edges together so that the eggplant is sealed inside the foil and will continue to steam and soften.
Let this sit for 15 minutes.

Step 2:
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce.
Heat 2 Tbsp oilive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medioum heat.
Add the onion and cook, stirring often until tender.
Add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring until the garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, cinnamon, basil and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer, and let it simmer uncovered, stirring often for about 20-25 minutes or until thickened and fragrant.
Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt if desired.
Remove the basil sprig (if using fresh) and stir in the drained chickpeas.

Step 3:
Preheat the oven to 350º F.
grease with oil or Pam a 2-quart baking dish or gratin (i used a casserole dish).
Cover the bottom with a thin layer of sauce and make a layer of eggplant.
Spoon some sauce on this and then another layer of eggplant. Repeat this until you are out of ingredients.

Step 4:
Bake 30 minutes until bubbling.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 10-15 minutes.
Sprinkle the parsley before serving (again, I sprinkled on each individual serving instead).

Tip:
Advance preparation: You can assemble this dish through step 3 up to two days ahead. Keep it in the refrigerator. Leftovers will be good for about three days.
Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com