Hi friends! Today I’m bringing you something fresh, flavorful, and healthy! Roasted Eggplant with Fresh Tomato Skillet Sauce!!! This is basically a naked SUPER clean version of eggplant parm, and so prefect for those hot Summer days when you want to eat, but don’t want anything too heavy.

The eggplant is simply roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, and pepper for about 40 minutes – so easy! And the end result is thick, blistery rounds that are mega crispy on the outside but juicy and tender on the in. My only cooking advice here is be sure you don’t rush the roasting process! You really want to let the eggplant roast until it’s deep golden brown and crispy. If you attempt to speed this process up, you’ll most likely be left with mushy eggplant. And that’s just sad.

While the eggplant is in the oven, you can make your skillet sauce. It’s super easy, and – thanks to fresh cherry tomatoes – the flavor is out-of-this-world! Basically all you do is simmer the tomatoes down in olive oil, add a little water, cider vinegar, and a big dash of tabasco, and let it simmer away, adding a little water here and there as needed. Once it’s cooked for about 30 minutes, you’ll add salt and pepper to taste, then toss in a hearty handful of chopped basil and mint. These last two ingredients give the finished product a brilliant pop of brightness that only fresh herbs can! Be sure not to skip them 🙂

Once the eggplant is nice and crispy, simply top each round with a little skillet sauce, sprinkle with a touch of chopped basil, and serve! It’s such a pretty meal or appetizer, and one that will leave you feeling great, too. Those are the best kind of meals if you ask me!

This post is part one of five that I’m doing for a super fun 10-Ingredient Tabasco challenge!

We love (love, love, love) Tabasco over here, so working with them on this fun campaign was a no-brainer. I just hope you guys can handle the heat 😉 xoxo