Vegetarian
Eggplant Pasta
Description
I’ve cooked some version of this Eggplant Pasta so many times in so many variations, it was almost hard for me to write down the recipe.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces whole wheat pasta or gluten free pasta if needed, any shape you like (I used fusilli)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium eggplant cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 pound)
- 1 large red bell pepper cut into 1/4 x 1-inch strips
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 12 ounces prepared tomato pasta sauce
- ½ cup kalamata olives
- Zest and juice of 1 medium lemon
- ¼ cup chopped fresh herbs such as parsley or basil
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain, toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add the chopped eggplant and bell pepper and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, then the olives. Let simmer 5 minutes, or until heated through. Stir in the lemon juice and zest.
- Stir the pasta into the eggplant tomato sauce, adding a little more of the prepared pasta sauce as needed to moisten the noodles. Served topped with chopped fresh herbs and Parmesan. Enjoy immediately.
