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My husband loves eggplant. As a matter of fact, when we were “dating” over the Internet, he once called me “la mia melanzana con pomodoro” (my eggplant with tomato).  Having never been called a vegetable before, I remember telling my mother how he called me an eggplant! She just smiled and said “That’s a compliment because you know how Italians love eggplant!” I never forgot that, and actually, while writing this post, I turned to me husband to see if he remembered that story?….and surprisingly enough, he did =) I’m still his “melanzana con pomodoro” =)

Ok. Back to the recipe. Now I know adding eggplant isn’t traditional to Italian bruschetta (pronounced broo-sket-tah), but since I had 3 eggplants, well past their prime mind you, staring me straight in the eyes every time I opened the fridge, I decided enough was enough, and that I would make a quick “cooked” bruschetta with eggplant. So here it is, delicious and a meal all by itself =)

Ingredients

-3 diced eggplant

-3 large diced tomatoes

-4-5 LARGE garlics, smashed

-2 TBSP chopped Italian parsley

-Olive oil

-Grated sharp Italian cheese (optional)

Directions:

Sauté the diced eggplant in a TBSP of olive oil on medium heat for a few minutes. Then add the smashed garlics, lower the heat and continue to sauté for a few more minutes. Add the parsley and tomatoes, cover the pan, and continue to cook until all ingredients are fully sautéed.

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 Turn off the heat, add 2 TBSP olive oil, and let cool. Meanwhile, slice bread and begin toasting each slice…(…since I bake my own bread using my mother in law’s starter, I always save some for bruschetta =)

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When fully toasted, top each slice with the eggplant mix. When all slices are topped, drizzle additional olive oil. Wait at least 30 minutes before serving for the flavors to fully incorporate. Just before serving, top with any grated sharp Italian cheese of your choice (optional)

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Buon Appetito!

Wanita =)