Roasted Eggplant Pasta with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
This eggplant pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella is a late summer favorite! With roasted eggplant, a rich tomato sauce, and melty cubes of mozzarella, i’s hearty yet fresh, and makes a great weeknight dinner, but is special enough for entertaining.
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 893kcal
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized eggplant peeled (optional) and cut into a large dice
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided, plus more for drizzling
- Kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 8 plum tomatoes seeded and cut into chunks
- 3 cloves garlic very thinly sliced
- ½ lb gamelli pasta or any other short shape
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella (1 ball), cut into cubes
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves torn or cut into ribbons, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F (or 425°F with convection) and set a medium pot of water on the stove to boil.
- Toss the eggplant with 4 tablespoons olive oil, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread evenly on a sheet pan in a single layer and roast until golden brown, about 20–25 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
- While the eggplant is cooking, place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pureed but still chunky.
- Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into a pan and sauté the garlic over medium heat until it just barely starts to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Watch closely so it does not burn.
- Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, then cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.
- While the tomatoes are simmering, liberally salt the boiling water and drop in the pasta. Cook for about 1 minute less than al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Add the pasta to the pan with the tomatoes along with the roasted eggplant. Toss together and cook for another minute or two so the pasta can absorb the sauce. Add a splash of pasta water as needed to loosen it.
- Remove from the heat, then add the fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano, and basil. Toss just to combine.
- Drizzle with a little more olive oil if desired, sprinkle with additional Parmigiano and basil, then serve immediately.
Notes
- Cut the eggplant into uniform cubes to help them cook evenly.
- Don’t overcrowd the sheet pan or the eggplant will steam instead of roast.
- Use good quality ingredients for the best flavor.
- Add the mozzarella right before serving so that it doesn’t fully melt into the pasta.
Nutrition
Calories: 893kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 27g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 758mg | Potassium: 1001mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 2159IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 635mg | Iron: 3mg
