Eggplant Torte

By Martha Rose Shulman

Eggplant Torte
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Rating
4(111)
Comments
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This is a dramatic dish, like a molded eggplant parmesan inside a double crust. It makes a great vegetarian dinner party main dish.

Featured in: Mediterranean Vegetable Pies

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Ingredients

Yield:One 10-inch torte, serving ten
  • 1recipe whole wheat yeasted olive oil pie pastry
  • 2½pounds eggplant (2 large), cut in ⅓-inch slices
  • Salt to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1batch simple marinara sauce (about 1½ cups, made with 1 28-ounce can of tomatoes), or 1½ cups fresh tomato sauce
  • 3large eggs, beaten
  • 3ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (¾ cup, tightly packed)
  • ½cup freshly grated Parmesan
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

276 calories; 16 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 563 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the pie dough. While it is rising, prepare the filling for the torte. Salt the eggplant slices on both sides, and let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and make the tomato sauce.

  2. Step 2

    Rinse the eggplant slices, and blot dry with paper towels. Line baking sheets with foil, and oil the foil with olive oil. Place the eggplant rounds on the baking sheet, and brush the tops with olive oil. Bake in the oven until tender and beginning to color, 15 to 20 minutes. They will dry out on the surface but feel soft when you press on them. Remove from the oven, and fold the foil over the eggplant slices, enclosing them so they’ll continue to steam and soften. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees.

  3. Step 3

    Generously oil a 10-inch spring-form pan or cake pan. Roll out two-thirds of the dough to a large, thin round, and line the pan, making sure that there is some overhang all the way around the edge. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and use a bit to brush the bottom and sides of the crust. Remove 1 tablespoon for brushing the top crust, and set aside. Stir the tomato sauce into the bowl of beaten eggs, and combine well.

  4. Step 4

    Line the pastry with half the eggplant slices, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle half the Gruyère over the eggplant, and top with half the egg and tomato sauce mixture. Sprinkle with half the Parmesan. Repeat the layers.

  5. Step 5

    Roll out the remaining dough, and place it over the top of the torte. Fold in the overhanging bottom crust and pinch the edges together, then pinch an attractive lip around the rim of the pan. Brush the top crust with the beaten egg you set aside, and make a few slits in it with the tip of a knife. Bake 50 minutes to one hour, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes before cutting. Serve hot or room temperature, cut in wedges.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: The tomato sauce will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator and can be frozen for a few months. The finished tart will hold for several hours, but the crust may become soggy. Reheat for 10 to 15 minutes at 275 degrees to re-crisp the crust.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
111 user ratings
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Comments

Leslie

First time but I still made some changes: - Used leftover slow-cooked tomato sauce (Kenji) - Used one eggplant (~300g), two zucchini (~300g), two red bell peppers, roasted and peeled and cut in quarters - Treated the zucchini the same as the eggplant, roasted together - First layer, all eggplant. Second layer, all zucchini with red pepper draped over top - Baked 60 min Result was picture perfect. Sliced like a dream, no soggy bottom, leftover slices reheated in the oven were even better.

Jacky

I have made this a couple of times now, and absolutely love this recipe. The dough is very easy to make, and exactly as the recipe says it can be frozen - so do a double batch! First torte I followed the recipe pretty precisely. Since then I have filled it with whatever was available in my fridge. So long as you stick to the layering principle with mixtures of complementing flavours, you’ll be good.

Gili

amazing, but doe too difficult to make

Freddi

The recipe that I am reading does not include dough so I do not understand comments about dough.

Thom

Good thing this was so tasty, or my wife would've left me for having to wait so long. Common problem with NYT Cooking recipes: underreported times. This says 1 hr 45 mins. Baking is up to an hour, resting is 20 minutes. Have to make a pie crust (needs to rise), gather ingredients, prep vegetables (including 30 minutes of eggplant salting), grate cheese, assemble, etc. Realistically, it's 2 1/2 to 3 hours, at the least. If you want to serve this with something like a salad, add another 1/2 hr.

Susan

This was easy and wonderful. Great for company. Thank you Martha!

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