Lunch / Dinner
Eggplant Piadina with Pesto Spread
Eggplant Parmesan meets Margherita pizza meets Italian piadina with this robust vegetarian menu.
A piadina [pyah-DEE-nah] is essentially an Italian flatbread sandwich that can be filled with anything from savory cold cuts and cheese to sweet jam.
The “meat” of this at-home version is marinated and grilled eggplant. Pair it with a classic combination of Italian toppings — mozzarella, tomato, and basil — and arrange it all over a garlicky pesto spread on grilled dough rounds. Using store-bought dough and pesto keeps the prep time to a minimum, so you can toss together the side salad and get dinner on the table pronto!
Ingredients
FOR THE MARINADE, COMBINE:
FOR THE PESTO SPREAD, COMBINE:
FOR THE PIADINA, DIVIDE:
GRILL:
Test Kitchen Tip
For efficiency, arrange all the eggplant slices on one half of the grill. Use the other half to grill the dough rounds, which cook more quickly, two at a time.
Instructions
Preheat grill to high. Brush grill grate with oil.
For the marinade, combine olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Arrange eggplant slices in a shallow dish in one layer. Pour marinade over eggplant, turning occasionally until ready to grill.
For the pesto spread, combine pesto, ricotta, sliced basil, lemon juice, and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
For the piadina, divide dough into six equal pieces on a floured surface. Stretch and roll dough to about ⅛-inch thick or 8–10 inches in diameter. Brush both sides of dough rounds with 3 Tbsp. oil.
Grill eggplant 3 minutes, flip, and grill 1–2 minutes more. Arrange mozzarella on eggplant and grill 1–2 minutes. Meanwhile, grill dough rounds 1 minute per side.
Assemble grilled dough rounds with pesto spread, two slices eggplant, two slices tomato, and two basil leaves.
Cover eggplant slices with the marinade, turning until each piece is completely coated.
During the last 1–2 minutes of grilling, top each slice of eggplant with mozzarella so it melts slightly.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 628
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 40g 61%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Cholesterol 74mg 24%
Sodium 638mg 26%
Carbs 43g 14%
Fiber 5g 20%
Protein 26g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.