This hearty eggplant pasta is packed with spicy flavor, fresh herbs, juicy tomatoes, and tender chunks of eggplant A naturally vegan and optionally gluten-free pasta dinner that will please all appetites and is easy enough for a weeknight!
I’m all about pasta dinners. Pretty much always have been! But one thing that’s changed over the years: my preferred veggie to pasta ratio has gone way up.
My favorite pasta sauces are filled with veggies. Pasta by itself is great and all, these days my favorite pasta sauces aren’t even really sauces — they’re more like mixes of chunky veggies with some interspersed sauce.
I was looking for something along those lines when I created this dish. Sometimes during the winter months I can get caught in a cycle of enjoying heavy comfort food meals (hello cheeseburger soup!). I was craving some fresh flavors. While eggplant, tomatoes and fresh herbs are all in season during summer, they’re pretty much available year round these days.
Preparing & Cooking Eggplant
I salted my eggplant for this recipe. You may or may not need to do this, depending on the freshness of your eggplant.
If your eggplant is very fresh, don’t worry about salting it. If it’s been hanging around for a while or shows some browning when you cut it open, you’ll probably want to salt it to remove some of the bitterness that’s developed over time.
To salt your eggplant, just dice it up according to the recipe and place it in a colander. Generously coat it with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then rinse it well (get as much of the salt out as you can) and pat it dry.
You’ll be pan-frying the eggplant in some olive oil. Eggplant soaks up oil like crazy, so don’t be stingy with the oil! Coat your skillet with oil, heat it up, and then cook the eggplant for about 10 minutes, flipping it once or twice.
Making the Sauce
To make the sauce, sauté some onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes. Next, add some diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, capers and red pepper flakes. I used a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, for a mildly spicy sauce, but adjust the amount to your liking.
Let the sauce simmer for a bit, and then add the eggplant, fresh parsley, and fresh basil at the end.
Toss the sauce with pasta and serve.
FAQ & Tips for Making Amazing Spicy Eggplant Pasta
- Want to make this recipe gluten-free? Use your favorite gluten-free pasta!
- Adjust the heat level to your liking by increasing or decreasing the amount of red pepper flakes. 1 teaspoon will give the sauce some kick, but nothing too intense. When in doubt, start out small and add more at the end of cooking.
- I recommend tossing the sauce and pasta together just before serving, and storing any leftover sauce and pasta separately.
- Reheat leftover sauce on the stove top in a saucepan or by microwaving it in a bowl.
- To reheat leftover pasta, bring a pot of water to a boil, add the pasta, and let it heat up for about 1 minute. Drain the pasta in a colander and add it to the sauce.
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Spicy Eggplant Pasta
This hearty eggplant pasta is packed with spicy flavor, fresh herbs, juicy tomatoes, and tender chunks of eggplant A naturally vegan and optionally gluten-free pasta dinner that will please all appetites and is easy enough for a weeknight!
- 8 ounces dried rigatoni pasta ((or your favorite pasta shape))
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, (divided)
- 1 medium onion, (diced)
- 5 garlic cloves, (minced)
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons capers
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, (or to taste)
- 1 medium (1 pound) eggplant, (salted if necessary, cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, (plus more for serving, optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, (plus more for serving, optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions.
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Drain the pasta into a colander, return it to the pot, and toss it with a dash of olive oil.
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Coat the bottom of a large pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place it over medium heat.
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When the oil is hot, add the onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
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Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, until very fragrant.
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Stir in the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, capers and red pepper flakes.
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Bring the sauce to a simmer, and allow it to cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until it thickens up a bit. You can add a splash of water if it becomes too thick.
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While the sauce simmers, coat the bottom of a large skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and place it over medium heat.
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When the oil is hot, add the eggplant. Cook the eggplant for about 10 minutes, flipping it once or twice, until the pieces are soft and browned in spots.
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When the sauce is finished simmering, stir in the eggplant, parsley and basil.
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Remove the pot from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat,
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Divide onto plates and serve. Sprinkle with additional parsley and basil, if desired.
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