Eggplant Parm Bread Pizza

Source: Everyday with Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

2 small, firm eggplants
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 onion, finely chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
One 14.5-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1/3 cup basil leaves (a generous handful, torn
1 loaf ciabatta bread, split
1/2 cup freshly grated or shaved parmigiano-reggiano cheese
8 slices smoked mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°. Halve the eggplants lengthwise and, using a small, sharp knife, score into small crosshatch cubes, being careful not to cut through the skins. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the basil leaves until wilted. Keep warm over low heat.

Scoop out the eggplant flesh and spread it on the bread. Top with the tomato mixture, parmigiano-reggiano and mozzarella. Place the bread pizzas on the baking sheet and toast in the oven until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Cut each loaf half into 4 pieces.

This was a fun recipe to make and really easy. Next time I wouldn't use the canned tomato sauce, it had a sort of funky taste. I would probably just use regular pizza sauce. And this hurts me to say but I would probably use less cheese as well. The eggplant was really good and the bread made for an easy "dough". This was definitely an easy "thirty minute meal".