Leah’s Corn and Eggplant Pashtida
Leah Koenig’s corn and eggplant pashtida Image by Leah Koenig
A close cousin of the quiche (though often made without a crust), the pashtida is perfect morning fare. A jumble of eggs, dairy and vegetables, it pulls the best flavors of into a hearty main dish.
Serves 4-6
¼ cup vegetable oil (e.g. sunflower or safflower), plus more for pan
1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
½ medium eggplant, skin on, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 cup fresh or thawed, frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped
1)Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 8×8-inch square pan with about 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
2) Heat the ¼ cup vegetable oil in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6-7 minutes. Add the eggplant and continue cooking until softened and lightly browned, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the corn kernels and maple syrup, season with salt and pepper and cook until kernels are tender, 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let cool slightly. (This step can be completed 1 day in advance. Store the cooled vegetable mixture, covered, in the fridge.)
3) Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, 2 full minutes. Add the ricotta, flour, half of the thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and whisk to combine. Fold in the cooled vegetable mixture then spread it into the prepared pan. Sprinkle pan with remaining thyme leaves and bake until the center is set, 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Leah Koenig is a contributing editor at the Forward and author of “Modern Jewish Cooking: Recipes & Customs for Today’s Kitchen,” Chronicle Books (2015).
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