Escalivada (Catalan Roasted Pepper, Eggplant and Onions)

By
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa and Tony Sierra are freelance writers and Spanish food experts who lead culinary tours of the country.
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Updated on 03/15/22
Escalivada

Emi Yañez/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 100 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
308 Calories
8g Fat
53g Carbs
15g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 308
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 24mg 8%
Sodium 1094mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 53g 19%
Dietary Fiber 14g 50%
Total Sugars 21g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 80mg 401%
Calcium 138mg 11%
Iron 3mg 18%
Potassium 1211mg 26%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Escalivada, a roasted vegetable dish is typical from the regions of Cataluna and Aragon. Its' name comes from a verb in Catalan meaning "to roast in the embers."

It is a simple dish, with rural origins, made from roasted tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and onions. Typically served warm or room temperature with crusty bread, or to accompany meat or fish in warmer months, it is suitable to eat your-round. It is best to prepare and eat the escalivada the same day.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 C.

  3. Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil. If a large pan is not available, use 2 smaller pans, or cookie sheets.

  4. Rinse the eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, and brush the cut side with olive oil and place cut-side down in the pan. Make small slits in the skin of the eggplants so that they don't split open as they cook.

  5. Peel the onions, then place the peppers, onions, and head of garlic in the roasting pan. Brush all vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

  6. Roast in oven on the middle rack for about 1 hour, turning vegetables over every 30 minutes or so. After 1 hour, add tomatoes to the pan and continue roasting until vegetables are cooked—for another 20 to 30 minutes.

  7. If any vegetables, particularly peppers are thoroughly cooked, while others need more time, remove from pan and continue roasting the rest.

  8. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

  9. Then, carefully remove the skin from peppers and eggplant. Cut roasted vegetables into strips and place them on a platter or tray with anchovy fillets. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil.

  10. Serve and enjoy!

Variations

The following are variations on this traditional Catalan dish:

  • Potatoes: Some cooks like to roast four whole potatoes in their skins. First, scrub the potatoes thoroughly with a brush. Roast in their skins. Then, after roasting cut them in half, scoop out the potato, mix with salt and olive oil, and return the potato to their skins.
  • Green Onions: Use two bunches of tender green onions instead of yellow onions. Wash thoroughly and trim the roots and the tops of the green portion. Roast with the vegetables, removing before they dry out.
  • Vinegar: Add a splash of vinegar to the platter before serving.

Tips

  • Escalivada is typically served room temperature with plenty of slices of bread. Many cooks like to place the vegetables on a platter to create a colorful arrangement. If serving the escalivada by itself, why not arrange the vegetables on slices of bread for your guests?