Grilled Eggplant Tacos with Pistachio Sauce and Ricotta
These vegetarian low-carb tacos are here to rock your meatless dinner nights, whether they are being served as an appetizer, side dish or the main event. The pistachio sauce is particularly addicting, so feel free to also use it in your next pasta dish or stirred into a medley of vegetables.
Total Time: 25 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Eggplant Taco:
1 large Italian eggplant, sliced into rounds (about 1 cm thick)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-5 thinly sliced hot cherry peppers
Thinly sliced basil for garnish
Pistachio Sauce:
1 cup plus 1/4 cup toasted salted pistachios
¾ cup olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 shallot, finely chopped (about 3.5 tbsp)
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp champagne vinegar
Ricotta Sauce:
½ cup part skim ricotta
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Use a towel to lightly brush the grill with vegetable oil. Generously brush each side of the eggplant rounds with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Combine the pistachios, garlic, shallot and vinegar in a food processor. Pulse (do not blend) the mixture 5-6 times. Scrape the sides using a spatula. Continue to pulse the mixture in intervals while slowly pouring the olive oil in until a chunky paste forms. Transfer the mixture to a small skillet and cook on high heat, tossing the mixture frequently, for 3-5 minutes until the pistachios become fragrant and golden brown, and the shallot and garlic cook slightly. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Grill eggplant 7 minutes per side. Remove from grill.
Mix the ricotta ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
On one side of each eggplant, spoon and spread the ricotta mixture, then the sliced hot cherry peppers, and top with the pistachio sauce. Garnish with basil and serve.