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Side Dishes

Sautéed Eggplant (Mushroom-Style Eggplant)

Sautéed Eggplant (Mushroom-Style Eggplant) is a delicious Neapolitan recipe that's quick and easy to prepare. It can be served as a side dish or used as a pasta sauce.
Recipe Sautéed Eggplant (Mushroom-Style Eggplant)
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Preparation 10 minutes
  • Cooking 30 minutes
  • Servings for Serves 4

Sautéed Eggplant (Mushroom-Style Eggplant), known in Neapolitan dialect as Mulignane a Fungetiello, is a delicious dish that belongs to the Neapolitan culinary tradition. Its peculiar name comes from the fact that the diced and fried eggplant pieces resemble small mushrooms when the dish is completed.

There isn’t a single authentic recipe for Mushroom-Style Eggplant, but rather many different variations. The most famous ones are certainly the White Mushroom-Style Eggplant and the Mushroom-Style Eggplant with Tomatoes, and it’s this latter version that we’re preparing today!

Easy and quick to make, this Neapolitan-Style Sautéed Eggplant requires just a few simple ingredients: Eggplant, Roma Tomatoes (also known as Plum Tomatoes), Fresh Basil, Garlic, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil! This dish was originally created as a side dish that can be enjoyed hot, warm, or cold, but it’s also perfect as a pasta sauce!

If you’re looking for Quick and Easy Eggplant Side Dishes, you might also want to try Caponata, Grilled Eggplant, and Crispy Baked Eggplant! And now, let’s move on to the recipe for Mushroom-Style Eggplant!

Ingredients for Serves 4

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Method

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  1. To prepare ‘Melanzane a Funghetto’ (Mushroom-Style Eggplants), start by washing the eggplants and tomatoes. Take the eggplants, remove both the stem and the bottom end, and cut the flesh into approximately 1.5 cm (½ inch) cubes. Take the tomatoes, remove the green part including the stem, and dice them.
  2. Pour plenty of extra virgin olive oil into a large pan and, when it’s hot, fry the eggplant cubes for about ten minutes, making sure to turn them frequently to ensure even cooking.
  3. When the eggplants are cooked, remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a tray lined with kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
  4. Return to the pan you used for frying and remove any excess oil if necessary. Sauté a clove of garlic until golden, then remove it from the pan. Add the diced tomatoes and torn basil leaves, and cook for about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the eggplants back to the pan, adjust the salt to taste, and cook over low heat for another 10 minutes. After this time, turn off the heat and serve your Mushroom-Style Eggplants hot! Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!
    Mushroom Style Eggplant Tomato 1

Variations and Alternatives

To make spicier Mushroom-Style Eggplants, you can add a pinch of chili powder.

For a lighter version, you can prepare this recipe by cooking the eggplants directly in the pan instead of frying them.

Tips

If you’re concerned about the eggplants being too bitter, you can follow this method: slice the eggplants, place them in a colander, sprinkle them with coarse salt, cover with a plate and place a weight on top (like a water bottle or a kilo of salt). Let them rest for a few hours to release their bitter liquid, then quickly rinse under cold running water, pat them dry with kitchen paper towels, and proceed with the recipe.

Storage

Mushroom-Style Eggplants can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days. They can also be frozen if desired.

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