grilled eggplant bruschetta with romesco spread

Bruschetta is just the Italian term for “something on toast.” You may have heard of Romesco Sauce (and didn’t you always wonder what it was?), but I’m calling it a spread, because 1) it’s nice and thick, and isn’t truly Romesco Sauce because, made traditionally, it would contain another ½ cup of olive oil. (And would therefore be more saucy and not a spread.) I love it this way—I think you’ll agree. It’s so fresh and wonderful without the extra oil, and rich enough with the ground nuts.

This toast & spread is great topped with any number of different vegetables—you don’t have to stick with grilled eggplant. Fresh slices of tomato (as in the photo) are wonderful, or grilled zucchini… Get creative! I got the idea for this recipe from a cookbook called “rebar modern food,” but I didn’t use their instructions for making the eggplant OR the romesco sauce… Still, though, the inspiration was there!

The Grilled Eggplant

1 pound eggplant or a little more
olive oil, in a spray can or in a dish
sea salt or kosher salt

1. Preheat your grill to medium heat. Slice the eggplants into rounds about ½” thick. Set the slices on a sheet pan for applying the oil. Brush or spray both sides of each slice lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
2. Grill directly on the grill (not in the pan) over medium heat for at least 5 minutes on each side. They should have grill marks on them and start to get golden-brown. When they are tender and seem done, stack the slices and wrap them up in aluminum foil so that they’ll steam and finish cooking.

The Romesco Spread

1 slice whole wheat bread (preferably sourdough)
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup toasted almonds (toast in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes)
¼ cup toasted pine nuts (toast in a skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden-brown)
3 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
½ bunch Italian parsley, leaves picked from the stems
3 roasted red peppers
½ teaspoon salt

1. Fry slice of bread in olive oil over medium heat until bread is golden and crunchy.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, grind the almonds to crumbs. Add the pine nuts, then the garlic, and process until finely ground.
3. Add the paprika, cayenne, and the parsley leaves, and grind until the leaves are finely chopped.
4. Add the peppers and salt and pulse until the mixture is coarsely ground but not a fine puree (it should have some texture). 

The Bruschetta

slices of bread, preferably whole wheat sourdough
Romesco Spread
Grilled Eggplant slices

1. Toast the bread well, slather on a thick layer of the Romesco Spread, and top with several overlapping eggplant slices. Serve immediately!

Roasted Red Peppers

red peppers

1. Preheat your grill or broiler. Roast the red peppers, turning them as each side gets blackened.
2. When they are blackened all the way around, place them in a big bowl and cover it with a lid or a plate until the peppers are fairly cool (this steams and cooks the peppers the rest of the way).
3. Peel the skins from the peppers and remove the seeds, but don’t rinse the peppers—just rinse your fingers as you peel the skins off. Slice the peppers into ½” wide pieces.