I make variations on this eggplant pepper pasta dish often. It’s a good way to use up vegetables and makes a nice alternative to typical red sauce. When cooked in a heavy pot over low heat, the eggplant melts into a creamy base that holds all of the other flavors together.
This recipe is easily adaptable, with the eggplant as the base. Add different vegetables or spices. Try lemon or lime juice instead of the red wine. Add chopped onion, zucchini or yellow squash. Sauté sliced sausage and add it to the mix.
The eggplant pepper sauce is equally delicious on rice.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 colored bell peppers, seeds removed and cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 3 cloves garlic, or 6 garlic greens (young garlic plants), chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- Two pinches red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup dark red wine
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Add the oil and chopped vegetables to a heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven. Sauté the vegetables on medium heat to distribute the oil. Cover the pot and let the vegetables cook, stirring occasionally. When the eggplant has started to soften, add the basil, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon of salt. Lower the heat a little, cover and let the mixture cook until the eggplant has melted, stirring from time to time. Remove the cover, raise the heat a little, add the red wine and a little black pepper. Stir and let the sauce cook down a little, so that it isn’t too wet.
Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Salt the water and add a pound of pasta. Cook the pasta until it is al dente.
Drain the pasta and add it to a large serving bowl. Add the sauce and mix it with the pasta. Add the cheese and toss everything together. Serve immediately.
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