Romanian Zacusca (Eggplant and Pepper Dip)
I’m continuing to learn my mom’s recipes, and this one takes a little patience—but most of that time is draining vegetables and letting the pot do its thing.
We use a food processor to speed up the chopping. My mom also often finishes it in the oven to make a big batch easier to manage, but the stovetop works too.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Eggplant: look for large eggplants so you have more flesh and less skin to peel off.
- Red bell peppers: Choose fully ripe red bell peppers for sweetness.
- Onions: we use sweet onions but yellow or white onions also work fine. I have not tried it with red onions.
- Beans: We use canned Great White Northern beans. Pinto beans also work fine. Make sure to drain them before adding to the pot.
- Vegeta: a romanian staple -it contains salt, so taste before adding more salt at the end. Check your local European grocery store or get it here.
- Sweetener: Adjust to taste once the spread has cooked down. Just honey, brown sugar or granulated sugar would work fine as well – you really don’t taste it, it just balances the acidity from the tomatoes.
Tip: I used a 5 qt dutch oven. For this amount, that’s the smallest size you can use because it did fill up. You can halve the recipe and make it in a smaller pot or separate it into two pots if you don’t have one big enough.
How To Make It
- Roast: Grill the eggplant and peppers until charred and tender, then peel and remove the stems and seeds.
- Chop & drain: Finely pulse the vegetables in a food processor separately and drain for several hours, keeping the onions separate.
- Brown the onions: Cook the drained onions in oil until they begin to brown.
- Combine: Stir in the eggplant, peppers, tomato paste, tomato sauce and seasonings.
- Slow cook: Cook on the stovetop or uncovered in the oven for several hours, stirring occasionally, until thick and spreadable. Add the drained beans during the final hour.
- Finish: Remove the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Tips for Making Zacuscă
- Give the vegetables time to drain. After chopping in the food processor, let them drain for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator. This will significantly reduce cooking time. The eggplant and peppers can share a strainer, but keep the onions separate.
- Pulse instead of puréeing. You want the vegetables finely chopped, with some texture remaining.
- Leave the pot uncovered in the oven. The moisture needs to evaporate for the spread to thicken.
- Use the texture as your guide. The finished zacuscă should hold its shape when scooped, with no watery liquid pooling around it. Depending on the vegetables and how well they drained, it may need a little more cooking time.
Serving & Storing
My favorite way to eat zacusca on piled high on a fresh slice of Italian Bread or Sandwich Bread. It’s also great with naan bread, pita bread or served with crackers as part of an appetizer spread or a charcuterie board.
You can serve it warm or cold, depending on your preference.
You’ll see us filling jars in the video, as my mom has done for years. We sterilize the jars either in the oven or by boiling them. Fill them, leaving ½ inch at the top, wipe the rim and tighten the lids on top. Place back into the oven (turned off but still hot) and allow them to cool in there until completely cooled .
Michigan State University Extension does not recommend home canning eggplant, so I won’t tell you it’s ‘safe’ to do what we do. I recommend refrigerating or freezing this recipe to be as safe as possible.
Divide into small, shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours of cooking. Use within 3–4 days or freeze in portions for longer storage.
I hope you enjoy this family recipe and please leave a star rating or review below if you make it.
As always, have a blessed day and happy cooking!
Love, B
