Roasted Japanese Eggplant With Crushed Tomato, Pecorino and Thyme

Step 1

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Step 2

Peel the eggplant and place in a roasting pan or dish. Coat eggplant with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and light golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Step 3

While the eggplant cooks, hand-crush the tomato in a medium bowl and add garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining olive oil and thyme sprigs. Stir to combine.

Step 4

When eggplant is tender and light golden brown, add tomato mixture to the roasting pan, and roast for another 10 minutes.

Step 5

Scatter with pecorino and roast for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Step 6

Transfer to a serving dish, including the pan drippings, and serve hot.