Pasta with Eggplant

Growing up we ate pasta all the time, but not pasta the way I see at Italian restaurants smothered in red sauce or cream - we ate pasta like this. Pasta was frequently loaded with veggies sauteed in olive oil and always with a sprinkling of parmigian on top. This is one of my favorites, it isn’t much to look at but it is endlessly comforting. The vegetables cook in the time it takes for the water to boil, so it makes a quick and easy dinner.

Ingredients:

Two medium eggplants

1 large vidalia onion

8 oz mozzarella (I used little pearl sized balls, but you could cut a larger piece into chunks)

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1 lb pasta

EVOO, salt, and pepper

Set the pasta water to boil and then get on with the rest of the prep. Peel and slice the onions. Heat a large sauté pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, then add the onions and let them cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until they turn fragrant and translucent. This should take around 5 minutes. In the meanwhile, dice the eggplant into roughly half inch cubes.

Once the water comes to a boil salt it well (it should be like the ocean), and put the pasta in to cook. Once the onions have softened, add the crushed red pepper and the eggplant, and season well with salt and pepper. I add extra EVOO at this point, because I cannot get enough, but most people would probably be fine as is.

Once the eggplant becomes tender and deepens in color it is ready for pasta and cheese! If the pasta isn’t ready by the time the eggplant is cooked, keep it on low heat until the pasta is ready. Once everything is ready, drain the pasta reserving ~ half a cup of cooking water, then toss the pasta, water, eggplant, veggies, and cheese together over low heat. Let it heat for a minute or so and then serve!

I like it with parmesan cheese on top!