I always prefer to use Japanese eggplants when I can because I find they are less bitter and don’t require salting the way bigger eggplants sometimes do. This is a very substantial salad and also very good looking, with pretty layers of eggplant, cheese, and nuts.

　　

Ingredients

4 to 6 servings

　　7 Japanese eggplants, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch circles

　　3 tablespoons olive oil

　　1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (see page 185)

　　3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

　　1/3 cup thinly sliced basil

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves

　　3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

　　1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Place the eggplant slices on a sheet pan or in a large bowl and drizzle with the olive oil; toss to coat with the oil. Grill the eggplant slices until tender and grill marks appear, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

　　

Step 2

Place the eggplant slices side-by-side on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, goat cheese, basil, and mint. Drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

　　Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.