Eggplant Pasta with Basil
This is a simple pasta that turns eggplant into a silky sauce with garlic oil and fresh basil. The eggplant breaks down completely so even people who think they don't like it end up loving this dish.
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.
Notes
For garlic oil, blend 1 part garlic with 5 parts olive oil until smooth. Keeps refrigerated 2 weeks.