Eggplant Pasta Easy Pasta Alla Norma Wellplated Com

Whole wheat noodles, hearty eggplant, plenty of Parmesan, and a few light, briny punches to bring it to life are the non-negotiables. From there, the precise mix of ingredients is up to you! I’m typically a stickler for clear directions and precise measurements (a reason my cookbook has nearly 1,900 5-star reviews!), but clean-out-the refrigerator pastas like this recipe are one domain where we have more freedom to play. When I cook with this open-the-refrigerator, see-where-it-takes-me abandon I try to channel my Grandma Dorothy. I used to chase her around the kitchen, trying furiously to write down her recipes—many of which included adding “a small box” of a particular ingredient until it “looks right.” She had an intuition in the kitchen, and this flexible, easy pasta recipe will help you to have the same. Half bag of spinach threatening to go bad? Stir it in here! Garden overfloweth with zucchini? Dice a few up and sauté them with the eggplant. A lover of Pasta Alla Norma, a classic Italian pasta dish made with eggplant, marinara, and ricotta salata? Skip the olives and capers, and swap the Parmesan for ricotta salata. Front to back, this healthy vegetarian pasta is ready in 30 minutes. It’s one of my favorites to cook up after a trip to the farmer’s market, and it makes me feel connected to my food.

How to Make Eggplant Pasta

The recipe must-haves here are eggplant, which is at the recipe’s heart and makes it a healthy all-in-one meal, fresh lemon zest, which brings the eggplant pasta to life, and either olives or capers. They add an important salty and briny dimension.

The Ingredients

Eggplant. Packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, eggplant is a healthy and delicious addition to this pasta. It soaks up the flavors it’s cooked with and becomes perfectly tender (NOT soggy and NOT bitter). Store-Bought Pasta Sauce. This is one of my absolute favorite cooking shortcuts (the full list is in my cookbook). It makes the eggplant pasta quick and easy.

Whole Wheat Pasta Noodles. As always, I recommend using whole wheat pasta instead of white, because it is an instant way to make any pasta recipe healthier (fist pump for extra fiber and protein!).

Red Bell Pepper. Adds beautiful color to the pasta and oodles of vitamins.Olives. Olives are a salty and delicious addition that add liveliness to the pasta (as they do in this Mediterranean Pasta).

Red Pepper Flakes. Adds a little heat without overpowering the other flavors. Lemon Juice + Zest. Brightens the entire dish and makes the flavors pop.Parmesan. A shower of freshly-grated Parmesan is a must-have addition to my bowl of pasta. It’s cheesy and takes this dish to the next level.

The Directions

How to Store and Reheat Eggplant Pasta

To Store. Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.To Reheat. Gently rewarm pasta in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over medium-low heat. You can also reheat this recipe in the microwave.To Freeze. Freeze pasta in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Dutch Oven. One of the most-used items in my kitchen.Non-Stick Skillet.The perfect pan for cooking the vegetables. Citrus Juicer. Juicing a lemon has never been easier.

Whether you follow this eggplant pasta recipe to the letter or give it your own twist, I hope it becomes a back pocket recipe you can rely on, just as it has for us. If you’d like to play around with this recipe, look to the Mediterranean, southern France, and Italy for inspiration.

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Eggplant Pasta Video

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