Ingredients (~8-9 servings)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs eggplant, peeled
- 1 1/2 lbs dried short pasta
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 3/4 tsp garlic oil (see note below)
- 1 1/2 oz fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 3 oz pecorino romano, finely grated
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- Salt to taste
Get Your Pasta Water Boiling
Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a rolling boil.
Add the pasta and cook according to package directions.
You’ll need some of this starchy pasta water later so don’t drain it all away.
Cook the Eggplant Into a Sauce
Cube the eggplant into 1/2 inch chunks – don’t worry about being precise here.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; Add the eggplant.
The eggplant will soak up that oil immediately like a sponge – this is totally normal.
Saute for ~1 minute, then add 1 1/2 cups of the vegetable stock.
Cover and simmer for ~10 minutes, stirring occasionally; Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of stock as needed.
The eggplant is done when you can easily mash it with the back of a spoon.
Turn the Eggplant Into a Chunky Sauce
Turn off the heat and mash the eggplant with the back of a spoon until it becomes a chunky sauce.
You can use an immersion blender if you want it smoother but I like some texture.
The goal is a sauce that coats the spoon but isn’t completely smooth.
Combine Everything and Finish
When the pasta is done, transfer it directly to the skillet with the eggplant sauce using tongs or a spider.
Turn the heat to high and add 3/4 cup of the pasta water.
Mix everything together until a glossy sauce forms – add more pasta water if it looks dry.
Turn off the heat and add the garlic oil, white pepper, and salt to taste.
Add the pecorino romano and mix for ~30 seconds until it melts into the sauce.
Stir in the fresh basil just before serving.
Serve with extra pecorino and fresh basil on top.
Garlic Oil Note
Blend 1 part garlic with 5 parts olive oil until smooth – so about 5-6 garlic cloves for every 1/2 cup olive oil.
This keeps in the fridge for ~2 weeks and works great on roasted vegetables, chicken, or mixed into salad dressings.
A little goes a long way so don’t overdo it.
Eggplant Pasta with Basil
Ingredients
Ingredients (~8-9 servings)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs eggplant, peeled
- 1 1/2 lbs dried short pasta
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 3/4 tsp garlic oil, see note below
- 1 1/2 oz fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 3 oz pecorino romano, finely grated
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions, reserving pasta water before draining.
- Cube eggplant into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add eggplant.
- Saute 1 minute, then add 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock.
- Cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding remaining stock as needed, until eggplant mashes easily with a spoon.
- Turn off heat and mash eggplant with the back of a spoon into a chunky sauce.
- Transfer cooked pasta to the skillet with eggplant sauce using tongs.
- Turn heat to high and add 3/4 cup pasta water.
- Mix until glossy sauce forms, adding more pasta water if dry.
- Turn off heat and add garlic oil, white pepper, and salt to taste.
- Add pecorino romano and mix 30 seconds until melted.
- Stir in fresh basil.
- Serve with extra pecorino and basil on top.