Roasted Eggplant with Burrata & Spicy Tomato-Date Jam
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 289kcal
Silky, grilled or roasted eggplant layered with torn burrata, fresh basil, and pine nuts, finished with a warm, textured, spicy tomato-date jam. Smoky, savory, rich, and deeply satisfying, with just a hint of natural sweetness.
This dish is made for eggplant lovers — the kind who appreciate deeply caramelized edges, silky interiors, and flavors that balance sweet, savory, salty, and just a touch of heat.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Spicy Tomato–Date Jam
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ tablespoons sweet smoked paprika flakes or Aleppo pepper flakes plus 1½ teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced, about 1 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 4 Medjool dates pitted and finely diced
- Salt to taste
- Pinch or two hot pepper flakes optional
Eggplant
- 2 small to medium eggplants
- 6 to 8 garlic cloves paper still on
- About ¾ cup olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Burrata Assembly
- 1 large ball burrata drained and patted dry
- A generous bunch fresh basil leaves
- 2 to 3 tablespoons pine nuts lightly toasted
Instructions
Make the Spicy Tomato–Date Jam
- Place the pine nuts and sesame seeds in a mortar or small bowl and lightly crush them using the back of a spoon or a pestle.
- Toast the crushed nuts and seeds in a dry sauté pan until fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl and wipe out the pan.
- In the same pan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 1 to 2 minutes, until it has broken into small pieces and the oil has an orange hue.
- Stir in the garlic, paprika flakes (or Aleppo and smoked paprika), toasted nuts and seeds, and diced dates.
- Cook gently for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and spoonable, then remove from heat.
- Season lightly with salt and hot pepper flakes, if using.
Prepare the Eggplant (Choose One Method)
Grill Method
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Place garlic cloves in foil with a drizzle of olive oil, seal into a packet, and place on the grill away from direct flames.
- Slice eggplant into rounds about 2 cm thick.
- Brush generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill 4 to 5 minutes per side until deeply charred and soft.
- Remove eggplant and garlic from the grill and cover to keep warm.
Oven-Roasted Method
- Preheat oven to 425°F / 220°C.
- Slice eggplant into rounds about 2 cm thick.
- Arrange on a sheet pan, brush generously with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Toss garlic cloves, paper still on, with a little olive oil and scatter on the pan.
- Roast 20 to 30 minutes, flipping once, until golden, silky, and deeply caramelized.
Assemble
- Arrange torn burrata and warm eggplant over a serving platter.
- Intersperse fresh basil leaves throughout.
- Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and scatter them around the dish, letting them fall naturally between the eggplant and burrata.
- Spoon a few tablespoons of the warm tomato–date jam over everything.
- Finish with toasted pine nuts, flaky salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with flatbread, crusty bread, or naan, and extra Tomato-Date Jam.
Nutrition
Calories: 289kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 1029IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg