Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
This will definitely be one of your new favorite vegetarian pasta recipes! I had bought some eggplants thinking that I would make a vegetarian moussaka casserole – but that would take way too much time for a weekday night. Then I was thinking of doing an eggplant parmesan casserole – also too much time for a weekday night. I really wanted to use the eggplant, so I came up with this! It does take some time, but not as much as those other options. This ended up being a hearty, delicious eggplant pasta dish, and there were lots of leftovers for bringing to work for lunch!
Ingredients:
• 2 medium sized eggplants – cut into cubes
• 2 red bell peppers chopped
• 1 medium red onion chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic chopped
• 2-3 T olive oil
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup sherry wine
• 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 teas salt
• ½ teas black pepper
• ½ teas crushed red peppers
• ½ teas dried oregano
• Box of healthy Rotini pasta (e.g. whole wheat, multi-grain, gluten free, etc. I used Barilla protein plus)
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• Toppings (Optional – freshly grated parmesan cheese, chopped fresh basil leaves)
Directions:
1. Using a large sauté pan (big enough to hold sauce and later pasta), over medium heat, with 2 T olive oil, sauté eggplant for 10 minutes
2. Add onions and peppers (you may need to add another T of oil olive if eggplant absorbed most of the oil), and sauté for 10-15 minutes
3. Add garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes
4. Add sherry and let reduce for 1-2 minutes
5. Add crushed tomatoes, salt, black pepper, crushed red peppers, oregano and then let it come it low boil
6. Reduce to simmer and cook for 30 minutes (stirring occasionally)
7. At this point, (in separate pot) put the water (salted) on for the pasta, bring it to a boil and cook pasta per box. Drain when done with reserving 1 cup pasta water
8. Add pasta and 1 cup reserved pasta water to sauce, combine
9. Serve / add toppings if desired
