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Make-ahead Monday: Bobby Flay roasts eggplant and makes 3 weeknight meals

Bobby's on an eggplant kick. He loves the meaty texture.
/ Source: TODAY

Bobby Flay is stopping by the TODAY kitchens to share his easy recipe for roasted eggplant, which he uses in three dishes: Milanese, tacos and the popular eggplant Bolognese from his restaurant Gato, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in New York City. Flay says he's been cooking more and more meatless fare lately, and these recipes are great for Meatless Monday — and Make-ahead Monday!

Making a big batch of roasted eggplant sets you up for all sorts of meals, including tacos, Milanese and Bolognese. It's also great in sandwiches and salads.

Bobby Flay's Eggplant Milanese

Meaty eggplant stands in for chicken in this vegetarian Milanese with mushrooms, arugula and balsamic vinegar. For this meal, you'll fry extra eggplant and save the leftovers for tomorrow's tacos.

You won't miss the meat in these hearty tacos with eggplant and goat cheese. Use the leftover eggplant from yesterday's Milanese to make dinner prep extra simple.

I put this eggplant Bolognese on the menu at Gato last year and it was an instant hit. As more and more people cut meat (either entirely or in part) from their diets, I have had to adapt and expand my menus to accommodate them, a challenge I have happily accepted. This Bolognese, a meaty meatless wonder, is sure to thrill the vegetarians among your friends and family, and it’s just as satisfying to those who check the carnivore box. My pasta of choice for this dish is tortiglioni, but any type of pasta would work.

If you like those vegetarian recipes, you should also try these:

Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric
Roasted Vegetable and White Bean Salad