Description
A delicious pasta dish featuring sautéed eggplant and a flavorful garlic-tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium eggplant (cut into 1″ pieces)
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with juices)
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste, see note)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or ricotta salata, see note)
- 1 large handful fresh basil (torn)
- Salt & pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Warm the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant pieces and sauté for about 10-12 minutes, or until they’re cooked through and lightly browned, stirring fairly often. If the pan gets really dry, add in some more oil.
- Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water and cook your pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Turn the heat down to medium, then add the garlic to the skillet and cook for about 20 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and parsley, and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce simmer until the eggplant and tomatoes have softened (about 5 minutes).
- When the pasta is almost ready, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Add a splash of the pasta water to the sauce depending on how saucy you want it (I usually add about 1/4 cup), and then drain the pasta, add it to the skillet, and toss it with the sauce.
- Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and basil and gently toss again. Season to taste with salt & pepper and enjoy.
Notes
- Adjust the crushed red pepper flakes based on your spice preference.
- You can substitute ricotta salata for parmesan cheese if desired.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 10mg