September is time – that time when summer is still hanging around, but it has finally started to cool down. And time to make this Roasted Eggplant Pasta Recipe.
There’s plenty of late summer produce at the market, but the temps are finally reasonable enough that you can turn on the oven without melting. This means it’s time to make this simple Roasted Eggplant, Crisp Garlic, and Basil Pasta.
Why Roasted Eggplant Pasta?
Here’s why I love this pasta: roasting the eggplant allows you to get the same flavor you’d have from pan-fried eggplant, but with a fraction of the effort and far less fat.
And the crisp garlic is a total must — it’s like garlic-flavored chips top off the pasta, yet the garlic flavor is way more subtle than if it were sauteed.
But my favorite part of this recipe is that it has a sort of split personality: you can serve it as is or, if the weather’s already Fall-ish in your area, you can add a bit more cheese and then stir the whole lot together, so it becomes an instant, no-fuss pink sauce.
Go stock up on all your cooking essentials, then share your creation with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
Roasted Eggplant, Crisp Garlic, and Basil Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 medium baby japanese eggplant (or 1 Globe eggplant) ends trimmed
- 6 tablespoons olive oil divided plus more for garnish
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or oregano) leaves stripped
- kosher salt
- 6 medium garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 (14-ounce) can tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon unrefined cane sugar optional
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 3 ounces feta or goat cheese crumbled (optional), for garnish
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
Instructions
- Roast The Baby Eggplant: Heat oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Slice baby eggplant lengthwse or cut larger eggplant into 1-inch cubes then combine with half of the olive oil and the thyme or oregano. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and toss to combine. Spread on a silicone baking mat or foil-lined baking sheet in one even layer and roast, stirring a few times, until soft and golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Crisp The Garlic: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. In a large frying pan, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add garlic and cook until garlic is crisp, golden brown, and fragrant. Remove garlic to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Make The Simple Tomato Sauce: Return pan with olive oil to the stove over medium heat and add the tomatoes and vinegar, sugar, season with salt, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, occasionally stirring, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes
- Cook The Pasta: Meanwhile, when the water boils, cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and drain pasta. Set aside. Add eggplant to pasta sauce and simmer until heated through. Taste and add more vinegar if the sauce is sweet, or, as needed, add sugar to make the sauce sweeter.
- Finish The Pasta: Add reserved pasta to pasta sauce and stir to coat. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and stir until each piece of pasta is just coated with the sauce. Add additional pasta water as needed to help the sauce coat the pasta.Remove from heat, top with cheese, if using, basil, and crisp garlic, and season with additional salt and pepper, as desired. Finish pasta with a drizzle of additional olive oil and serve.
