Every once in awhile you get an ingredient that you don’t know how to handle, or what to do with. Eggplant is one of those for me. But at the same time the challenge of, what the devil am I going to do with this, becomes fun. At least we didn’t get another months worth of sunchokes in our CSA again. Try keeping up with that.
Eggplant can be a little intimidating, only because if done wrong it is really wrong. And generally, unless you were raised to like eggplant, you really aren’t even sure what it is. I know I didn’t have any idea what it was or how to deal with it for the longest time.
One year I planted eggplant in my garden, thinking I would figure out what to do with it. I didn’t. I tried making ratatouille once, because I had an eggplant. It just didn’t come together.
So the other day when Lydia brought one home, I figured I better finally figure it out. And surprisingly it was easier than I thought. I had apparently been missing a step all this time. So, time for the eggplant.
Spicy Eggplant Pasta
Pre-Prep:
Cut the eggplant crosswise into about one inch thick slices. Lay those slices on a baking sheet and salt them liberally. Then let them sit for an hour or longer if you want. Don’t go longer than two though.
Salt the eggplant & let it sit – it removes the bitterness
Go work out, for a run, whatever to keep yourself busy for that time. You’ll have time to throw everything else together later.
Ingredients:
- One large, or two medium eggplants
- Salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes – I used the roasted tomatoes Lydia cooked up the other day
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, or a teaspoon and a half dry oregano
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup fresh, chopped basil – I didn’t have any fresh, but Lydia made some fresh pesto the other day, and I use a couple of teaspoons of that
- 1 pound pasta of your choice – tonight we used fresh rustic noodles picked up at our local farmers market
Bringing it all together
Method:
Preheat your oven to 425. Drizzle two tablespoons of your preferred fat over the eggplant, toss the eggplant to coat them in the oil and add a little more salt and some black pepper. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer and bake for about 20 minutes, until they start to brown and are tender.
While the eggplant is roasting, saute the onion and garlic in the rest of the oil until translucent. Add the tomatoes, oregano, pepper flakes, and basil. Continue cooking until the sauce starts to thicken, stirring regularly.
Local fresh rustic noodles
When the eggplant is soft, cut it into roughly one inch pieces, and add it to the sauce. Continue simmering.
Cook your pasta to your desired level of doneness. I’d suggest al dente. Drain the pasta, and add it to your sauce.
Serve and enjoy.
Finished Product along with tasty stick bread from Red Bicycle Bakery
Have leftovers?
Here are a couple of ideas to play with, in case you want something a little different.
Warm up the pasta, fry up a couple eggs, and slide them on top of the pasta mixture.
Top it all with some salsa and breadcrumbs for a little extra flavor and texture.
Eggplant pasta with fried egg, salsa verde, and toasted bread crumbs
Or how about a frittata? Throw the leftovers in a pie pan, add the egg mixture and set it all in the oven and cook long enough to cook the egg and heat through, and enjoy. Super easy, and super fast.
Frittata with leftover eggplant pasta
