This Roasted Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Stacks are a fresh, summer-ready dish made with roasted eggplant, pesto sauce, sweet cherry tomatoes, and melty cheese.
Why We Love this Dish
Eggplant and tomatoes, especially juicy cherry tomatoes are my favorite combination for a simple yet delicious summer dish. There’s so much to love about these roasted stacks:
- They’re healthy but still full of rich, satisfying flavor
- Pesto sauce adds a fresh, herby twist that brightens everything up
- You can roast the veggies ahead of time, which makes assembly quick and easy
- It’s a flexible dish—serve it as an appetizer, a side, or even a light main
This one’s a go-to when I want something easy, seasonal, and seriously good.
Roasting Eggplant and Cherry Tomatoes
To save time, you can roast your veggies the day or the night before.
- Preheat oven to 400° and line two sheet pans (use small sheet pan for cherry tomatoes) with parchment paper.
- Slice the eggplant into ½-inch rounds. You’ll need 12 slices total and arrange them in a single layer on the larger baking sheet. Place the halved cherry tomatoes on the smaller baking sheet.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the eggplant slices and 1 tablespoon over the cherry tomatoes. Roast tomatoes for 15-20 minutes and eggplant slices for 25–30 minutes, flipping the eggplant slices halfway through.
- Once eggplant and tomatoes are tender, take out of the oven ( keep your oven turned on, because your stacks will have to go back in ) and get ready to assemble your stacks!
How to Assemble and Bake
A large shallow baking dish works best for these stacks. I used my vintage cast iron 3-quart oval baker from Le Crueset, and all six fit perfectly.
- Place 6 eggplant slices in the baking dish. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt then spread a spoonful of pesto on each slice. You can certainly make your own pesto sauce, but I used one of my go-to favorites, Basil Pesto Sauce from Trader Joe’s.
- Add 3–4 roasted cherry tomato halves on top and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat this layering process to build the stacks.
- Return the assembled stacks to the oven and bake for 5–7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Serving Suggestions for Roasted Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Stacks
These flavorful stacks are incredibly versatile. You can serve them as an appetizer, side, or even a light main dish. For appetizers, I love using Burleigh Pottery’s 7.5-inch small plates they’re just the right size! As a side dish, these pair perfectly with a variety of salads and pastas like Asparagus Orzo Salad, Carrot-Tuna Salad, Spicy Shrimp Tomato Pasta, Mushroom Lemon Pasta, or seafood like Baked Cod and Swordfish Tandoori.
Roasted Eggplant and Cherry Tomato Stacks
Equipment
- large shallow baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 large globe eggplant
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 3.5 ounces pesto sauce divided
- ¾ cup mozzarella or Trader Joe's Quattro Fromaggi
- ½ tsp salt, divided
- fresh chopped parsley or sprigs of basil as garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° and line two sheet pans (use small sheet pan for cherry tomatoes) with parchment paper.
- Slice the eggplant into ½-inch rounds. You’ll need 12 slices total and arrange them in a single layer on the larger baking sheet. Place the halved cherry tomatoes on the smaller baking sheet.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the eggplant slices and 1 tablespoon over the cherry tomatoes. Roast tomatoes for 15-20 minutes and eggplant slices for 25–30 minutes, flipping the eggplant slices halfway through.
- Once eggplant and tomatoes are tender, take out of the oven and keep the oven on.
- To assemble: place 6 eggplant slices in the baking dish. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt then spread 1-2 teaspoon of pesto on each slice. Add 3–4 roasted cherry tomato halves on top and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat this layering process to build the stacks.
- Return the assembled stacks to the oven and bake for 5–7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Let the stacks cool for 5–10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley or fresh basil.