Heat the oven to 400°F.

Slice the eggplant (no need to peel) crosswise into round disks of about ¼ inch thick. Arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until slightly shriveled and caramelized in the center.

While the eggplant bakes, work on the sauce. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and peppers until the vegetables are lightly browned and the onion is translucent.

Stir in the tomato paste, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, and chili powder, if using. Let the mixture cook until the tomato paste darkens slightly in color, about 2 minutes.

Add the garlic and the beef, if using. Continue cooking, breaking up the beef with the back of a spoon, for about a minute, just to get slightly browned but not fully cooked.

Add the chopped tomatoes and stock or water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the mesaka’a, arrange half the eggplant in the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish followed by half the sauce. Sprinkle over the handful of almonds, if using. Layer on the rest of the eggplant and the remaining sauce.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil, then continue baking for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with rice or pita.