A great, minimal-effort side dish that adds veggies and color to your meal. I made it plainly, but you could add your favorite herbs or other seasoning. This would be great with some harissa for heat. Leftovers also make a great topping for pizza.
1 medium eggplant
1 pint grape tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Slice the eggplant lengthwise and then into 1/2 inch half-moons. Season the eggplant slices generously with salt and put them in a colander in the sink to drain for 30 minutes.
Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat to 450°F.
Tap the colander against the side of the sink to remove excess moisture and salt. Transfer the eggplant to a large mixing bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Lay the eggplant slices in an even layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
In a pie plate, toss the cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper.
Put the eggplant on the upper oven rack and the tomatoes on the lower rack. Roast the eggplant until starting to soften and brown, about 10 -15 minutes. Flip and roast until completely soft and light golden, about 15 minutes more. Roast the tomatoes until most have collapsed, 40 - 45 minutes.
Veggies can be served hot, cold, together, or separately.