Auberginen-Tomaten-Pesto (eggplant and tomato pesto)
A cooked pesto built on roasted eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes rather than raw basil and oil, the eggplant's flesh blended smooth once it has actually collapsed under real heat, not just softened. Roasting the eggplant whole until the skin blisters and the middle turns to slump is what gives this pesto its smoky depth instead of tasting like blended raw vegetable.
Prep15 min
Cook30 min
Servings4
Christoph's eggplant and tomato pesto, the eggplant roasted whole until fully collapsed for a smoky depth.
Ingredients
Units
Temperature
Servings
Pesto
- 1 eggplant, about 400 g, whole rounded
- 60 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained rounded
- 1 garlic clove rounded
- 40 g almonds rounded
- 60 ml olive oil rounded
- 15 ml lemon juice rounded
- to taste fine salt rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan). Prick the eggplant a few times with a fork and roast whole on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, until the skin is blistered and blackened in places and the flesh has completely collapsed.
- Let cool enough to handle, then split it open and scoop out the flesh, discarding the skin.
- Blend the eggplant flesh, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and almonds until mostly smooth, leaving a little texture.
- With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt.
Notes
- Roast the eggplant until it has genuinely collapsed, not just softened. A partially roasted eggplant blends into a bland, watery paste; a fully collapsed one gives this pesto its smoky depth and body.
- Whole, unpeeled roasting is deliberate. The skin protects the flesh from drying out while it slow-cooks through, and comes away easily once roasted.
- Almonds can be toasted first for extra depth, though it’s not essential.
- It keeps for 5 days in the fridge under a thin layer of olive oil, or freezes well in small portions.
Ingredient substitutions
- Almonds can be walnuts or pine nuts.
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil can be substituted with rehydrated dried tomatoes plus a little extra olive oil.
- A pinch of smoked paprika reinforces the smoky character if your oven doesn’t achieve much charring.
From Christoph Mayer