10/14/2026
I’ve been grilling Sicilian eggplant from the farmers market since June but now that the weather is starting to turn, I’ve been making this recipe indoors with a cast iron grill pan. No need to buy Sicilian eggplant. A regular good ol’ American globe eggplant will work just fine.
There’s three steps to this recipe. We’re making a creamy Romesco sauce and a simple pesto, both of which can be made ahead, and we’re grilling thick slabs of eggplant to serve ‘em with. Here we go!
Step 1: Make the Romesco Sauce (can be made up to 2 days in advance)
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 ½ tsp. sea salt, divided
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup slivered almonds
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion with 1 tsp. sea salt until very tender and almost caramelized, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss in the peppers. Saute until very tender, about 15-20 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and transfer to a high-speed blender with the remaining ½ tsp. sea salt, almond milk and almonds. Puree until velvety smooth. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Make the Pesto
1 head fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 handfuls fresh basil
⅓ cup walnuts
½ tsp. sea salt
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lime
Combine all the pesto ingredients in a mini food processor. Puree until smooth and the pesto reaches your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
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