Roasted Eggplant Spread

I love the Barefoot Contessa. Ina Garten's recipes are simple and generally healthy and just remind me of summer. I broke out her original cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa, which is still my favorite of her cookbooks. I made this VERY healthy dip/spread to take to a dinner last weekend that I thought I would share.

ROASTED EGGPLANT SPREAD

Recipe Notes

Serve with toasted pita wedges or as part of a Mediterranean platter with hummus, Greek olives, feta cheese, pitas, etc. I like this a bit more tomato-ey, so I double the tomato paste.

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant, peeled
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded
• 1 red onion, peeled
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp. good-quality olive oil
• 1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

3. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft. Toss once during cooking and cool slightly.

4. Place vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add tomato paste and pulse 3-4 times to blend. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.