Pasta with Eggplant & Mozzarella
This dish is comes together in 30 minutes and it is so delicious! In an Italian family, we ate a pasta dish with some sort of vegetable once a week. This dish was definitely on my mother’s rotation. To me, it’s almost like eggplant parm in pasta form!
Pasta with Eggplant & Mozzarella
A perfect weeknight meal that comes together quickly with few ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pasta of choice (I’m using Fusilli)
- 1 Large Eggplant (or 2 medium Eggplant), cubed
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 32 oz Tomato Passata or 28oz San Marzano Tomatoes, pureed
- Red Pepper Flakes to taste
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Grated Pecorino Romano to taste
- 4 oz Mozzarella, cubed or shredded
- Olive oil for frying and sautéing
Instructions
- Prepare the eggplant:Cut the stem and bottom off. Remove every other strip of the eggplant. Cut into 1 inch thick slices and then cut into same size cubes.
- Into a frying pan, add olive oil, 1 clove of garlic cut in half and a pinch of Red pepper flakes. Heat oil until the garlic becomes fragrant. Cook the eggplant in stages, do not over crowd the pan. Once cooked, remove the eggplant and place on a paper towel to drain.
- Into a sauté pan, add olive oil, 1 garlic clove and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Heat until garlic is fragrant, add the tomato puree. Season with salt, pepper and fresh basil. Stir to combine and simmer on medium for 20 minutes to reduce and thicken. Add the cooked eggplant into the sauce and let them cook together for a few mins so that the eggplant can absorb the flavor of the sauce.
- Boil your pasta of choice. I prefer a ridged pasta like fusilli, cavatappi, radiatori, etc.
- Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and mix well to coat the pasta. Then add grated pecorino and mozzarella. Continue to stir to melt the cheeses. Serve with more grated cheese on top and enjoy!
