Greek Main Courses
Melitzanes me Feta Recipe (Greek Baked Aubergine with Feta and Tomato)
Μελιτζάνες με φέτα meh-leed-ZAH-nes meh FEH-tah · Melitzanes me feta
Photo: Aubergines with Feta and Cinnamon by Rosmarie Voegtli, CC BY 2.0. Placeholder until original photography is shot.
In short
Melitzanes me feta is a Greek dish of roasted aubergine slices, layered with a simple tomato and garlic sauce, and baked under a generous topping of feta until it softens and turns lightly golden. It is a genuinely fast dish for the amount of flavour it delivers, closer to a rustic gratin than an elaborate bake.
Melitzanes me feta is one of the more straightforward ways aubergine turns up on a Greek table, roasted slices layered with a simple, quickly made tomato sauce, and finished under a generous scattering of feta that softens and turns lightly golden as it bakes. It sits somewhere between a full moussaka and a plain roasted vegetable, offering real depth without anywhere near the same effort.
The technique leans on roasting the aubergine properly first, which concentrates its flavour and removes the raw bitterness that boiling or steaming would leave behind, before it ever meets the tomato sauce.
It is a genuine main course eaten with bread, or a substantial side to grilled meat, and it comes together considerably faster than most other baked Greek aubergine dishes.
Key preparation steps
- Roast aubergine slices until soft and lightly coloured.
- Make a quick tomato and garlic sauce.
- Layer the roasted aubergine with the sauce in a baking dish.
- Top generously with feta and bake until golden.
Roasting the aubergine
Slice the aubergine into rounds about a centimetre thick, brush generously with olive oil, season, and roast in a hot oven until soft and lightly coloured at the edges, about twenty minutes, turning once. This step concentrates the aubergine's flavour and removes its raw edge before it goes anywhere near the sauce.
The tomato sauce
A simple sauce of tinned or grated fresh tomato, cooked down with garlic and a little dried oregano for fifteen minutes, is all that is needed here, since the dish's flavour comes as much from the roasted aubergine and the feta as from an elaborate sauce.
Layering and baking
Layer the roasted aubergine slices in a baking dish, spoon the tomato sauce over generously, then top with a thick, even scattering of crumbled feta, more feta than might feel strictly necessary. Bake until the feta has softened and turned lightly golden in places, about fifteen to twenty minutes, and serve hot, straight from the dish.
Tips from my kitchen
Roast the aubergine properly first
This concentrates its flavour and removes the raw bitterness that skipping this step would leave in the finished dish.
Do not skimp on the feta
A thick, generous layer is what makes this simple dish feel substantial rather than plain.
Serve straight from the dish, hot
This is at its best fresh from the oven, with the feta still soft and lightly golden.
Melitzanes me Feta Recipe (Greek Baked Aubergine with Feta and Tomato)
Μελιτζάνες με φέτα · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 25m
- Cook
- 40m
- Total
- 1h 5m
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 200C fan 180C. Brush the aubergine slices generously with olive oil on both sides and season.
- Roast on a lined tray for 20 minutes, turning once, until soft and lightly coloured.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes and oregano. Season and simmer for 15 minutes, until thickened.
- Reduce the oven to 190C fan 170C. Layer the roasted aubergine slices in a baking dish.
- Spoon the tomato sauce evenly over the top.
- Scatter generously with the crumbled feta.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the feta has softened and turned lightly golden in places.
- Serve hot, straight from the dish.
Nutrition, per 1 portion
- Calories
- 342
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Sat fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Melitzanes me feta
Can you use pre-roasted or grilled aubergine to save time?
Yes, if you have leftover roasted aubergine on hand, this dish comes together very quickly, since the sauce and topping stage takes only about twenty minutes.
What can you use instead of feta?
A mix of feta and a milder cheese like halloumi or kefalotyri works well if you want a less salty, more melting result, though feta alone is the classic, simplest version.
Is this dish the same as moussaka?
No, it is considerably simpler, with no meat sauce or bechamel, just roasted aubergine, a quick tomato sauce and feta. It shares a family resemblance but is a much faster, lighter dish.
