Grilled Eggplant Pizza

For all you eggplant haters out there, please give it another shot. If you think it's nasty and bitter, no worries, I'll bet you just simply forgot one of the crucial Kitchen Commandments: Thou Shalt Salt Thy Eggplant. 


Other commandments include:
Thou Shalt Never Cook Pancakes over High Heat; and Thou Shalt Never Eat Cabbage and Beans for Three Days Straight without Expecting Severe Intestinal Discomfort.

Coating the eggplant slices with salt, then letting it sit for at least 30 minutes, coaxes the unpleasant bitterness out of the otherwise pretty purple veggie. Eggplant is also known as "poor man's meat", thereby making it perfect for a collegiate budget. It's filling and tasty, and grilled on a pizza? Oh, yeah. Look out pepperoni, there's a new topping in town.

Grilled Eggplant Pizza       Serves: 1
1/3 of a large eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch-thick rounds
1 pita
Olive oil
1/4 cup marinara sauce
3 T. ricotta cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 T. parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh parsley or basil, to top
1.) Salt eggplant slices, place in a colander, and let drain for a minimum of 30 minutes. Gently rinse off salt and pat dry with a paper towel.
2.)Add a drizzle of olive oil to a grill pan (or medium-sized skillet) over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and grill until tender, about 5-8 minutes. Remove the eggplant and grill the pita bread until the bottom is toasted. Transfer to a plate.
3.) Spread grilled side of the pita bread with marinara. Top with the eggplant, spoonfuls of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses. Return to the grill pan, cover, and cook until the cheeses melt. Sprinkle with parsley or basil.