Step 1

Peel the eggplant. You can either peel it completely, or leave a few strips of skin on for texture. If you're planning on eating them as-is or using them as a meat or pasta substitute, peel them completely. If you're simmering them in sauce or adding them to a cooked salad, leave a few strips of skin on to help the eggplant keep its shape during cooking.

Step 2

Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes.

Step 3

Place the eggplant pieces in a colander and sprinkle with salt, tossing the pieces with your hands as you sprinkle to make sure all the pieces are evenly coated. Allow the eggplant to stand at room temperature for 30-45 minutes till beads of liquid form on the surface. Rinse the eggplant thoroughly and pat dry. This salting process helps to remove any bitterness from the eggplant. Note-- if you're using younger, smaller eggplants it's pretty rare to get a bitter one, so you can skip the salting to save on time!

Step 4

Place a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Spread out the eggplant cubes on a baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and use clean hands to toss the cubes, coating them lightly with oil. Sprinkle the cubes lightly with salt (if you're salt-sensitive, skip this step... the eggplant will already be slightly salty from the pre-salting process). You can also sprinkle them with pepper or your favorite seasoning. Black pepper, red chili flakes, paprika, lemon pepper and curry powder all add a nice flavor... just be sure to season lightly so you don't overpower the natural flavor of the eggplant.

Step 5

Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Let the eggplant roast for 10 minutes. Take the eggplant out and stir it with a spatula or wooden spoon. Return it to the oven. (Note-- if you have doubled the recipe and are roasting two batches of eggplant on two sheets, switch the sheets between racks at this point). Let it roast for 10-20 minutes longer till the eggplant is tender and some of the pieces are caramelized.

Step 6

Remove the eggplant from the oven. Serve warm or at room temperature, or add it to your favorite eggplant recipe. The eggplant is particularly delicious when simmered for a few minutes in your favorite warm sauce (tomato sauce, curry, etc.). Or, you can snack on it plain, like I do... simple, with a touch of salt. Makes a tasty finger food! I also love it drizzled with a little tahini sauce. Yum!