SUNDAY DINNER: Slow-Cooked Eggplant Stew With Sweet Onions and Tomatoes

For maximum efficiency, cook the sauce, onions and eggplant simultaneously in three separate pots. Serve leftovers over pasta with the unused tomato sauce from the recipe below (it makes more than you’ll need).

6 servings

Hands on: 1 1/2 hours

Total time: 2 hours

The stew can be served hot or at room temperature.

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided

5 medium sweet onions (about 6 cups), thinly sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

3 1/2 pounds Japanese eggplants, cut diagonally 1-inch thick

Freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, halved

3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 1/4 cups tomato sauce, (recipe below)

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1. In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked down to about 1 cup, about 40 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, in another large heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Add the eggplant, 1 teaspoon salt and season with pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and thyme and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is golden brown and cooked down to about 6 cups, about 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, drain on paper towels and cool.

3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a 2-quart casserole, pour in enough tomato sauce to just cover the bottom. Spread a third of the onions and then top with a layer of eggplant, using about 2 cups. Season with pepper. Cover eggplant with half of remaining sauce, half of remaining onions and another layer of eggplant. Season with pepper. Top with remaining sauce, remaining onions and remaining eggplant, arranging slices decoratively. Season with pepper.

4. Cover casserole and bake 20 to 30 minutes or until extremely hot. To serve, garnish with parsley

Per serving: 241 calories (percent of calories from fat, 42), 5 grams protein, 33 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams fiber, 12 grams fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 323 milligrams sodium.

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

Tomato Sauce

10 servings

Hands on: 55 minutes

Total time: 55 minutes

2 tablespoons olive oil or olive oil-blend

1 onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes in puree

Pinch granulated sugar

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, add oil. Once oil is hot, add the onion and cook until translucent and golden. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf and oregano, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf, and run sauce through a food mill or puree in a blender.

Per serving: 50 calories (percent of calories from fat, 48), 1 gram protein, 6 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 3 grams fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 173 milligrams sodium.