A delicious salad featuring roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and a zesty ricotta mixture topped with crunchy homemade croutons and fresh basil pesto. This dish combines various textures and flavors, perfect for a light meal.
1: Preheat oven to 425 F.
2: Wash and cube eggplant and add to a baking sheet along with tomatoes; season with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and mix; roast for about 25 minutes.
3: Slice bread, season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and roast until golden.
4: To make the ricotta mixture, mix ricotta, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and pepper.
5: To make the pesto, add all ingredients to a mortar and grind with the pestle.
6: Layer the zesty ricotta on a platter; top with the roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and croutons; drizzle a generous amount of pesto and enjoy!
