Pasta with aubergine is a summer and colorful vegetarian first course. The simple and genuine ingredients encapsulate the scents of the Mediterranean. Lots of gently stewed aubergine cubes make the dish enveloping and velvety, while the tomato cubes and the fresh basil leaves balance its freshness.
Aubergine pasta is one of the main dishes of Sicilian gastronomy. The qualities of aubergine, low in calories but very high in fiber, make this vegetable a perfect addition to the tomatoes, making a brilliant sauce for pasta. This is one of those dishes that are easy to prepare, but at the same time, full of taste. The recipe involves only a few ingredients – pasta of your own choice, aubergines, tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, and seasoning. That is all it takes to create a main course with an intense and characteristic flavor. The result is a creamy pasta dish because the aubergines slightly flake when browning in the pan, still giving an appetizing and creamy sauce.
The authenticity and versatility are the winning cards of this pasta with aubergine, it is a timeless and always tempting recipe!
Ingredients for aubergine pasta
Gather the ingredients below to prepare a delicious meal for 4-6 people:
- 8 oz of pasta. Chose any pasta type you like most, be it fusilli, farfalle or penne.
- 2 medium aubergines. Make sure they are fresh.
- 3-4 ripe tomatoes
- Approximately 10 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- dried oregano for seasoning
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 chili peppers (optional)
- salt
How to prepare the aubergine pasta?
To prepare pasta with aubergines, first, get your attention to the onion and the garlic, peel them and thinly chop. The amount to give you the perfectly balanced taste id 50/50 of garlic and onion.
Then take a large skillet, pour a few tablespoons of your preferred olive oil, and put to heat. Later on, add to the chopped onion and garlic. Cook it on medium-low heat until the mixture becomes translucent. However, until that happens, prepare the aubergines.
Wash it well and remove the tail. If you like the aubergine skinless, you can use a peeler and take out the dark purple skin. If you accept the vegetable as is, proceed to the next step – cut them first into slices. The thickness of the slices should be somewhere around 0.4 inches. Then cut the slices into cubes of the same thickness. At this point, transfer the cubes to the hot skillet and mix. Do not forget to add the salt, dried oregano, and chopped chili pepper. Close the skillet with a lid and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes on medium-low heat.
When the time expires, take out the lid so that the aubergine cubes eliminate all the vegetation water. At this point, wash the tomatoes and cut them into cubes, I’m following the same cutting shape so that the result is beautiful, besides delicious. Add the tomatoes to the aubergines only when these are tender and cooked.
Let everything simmer for an extra 5 minutes and sprinkle some freshly chopped basil leaves. The aubergine stew is ready and you can add the pasta to it.
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water, also, salted to taste. Follow the package instruction on regards to the boiling time, it differs depending on the pasta type. Once al dente, drain the pasta and pour directly into the pan with the aubergines. Mix the pasta with aubergines and let it rest for a few minutes adding the basil leaves, now you just have to serve it.
How to serve aubergine pasta?
Garnish the dish with a few leaves of fresh basil and immediately serve your pasta with aubergines. However, it is an excellent dish, served both hot and cold! Exactly, for this reason, it is also ideal for daily dinners and lunches or for the arrival of unexpected guests as well as for outdoor buffets! Where the rule is to amaze with a delicious dish in a few simple steps!
How to store aubergine pasta?
Perfect as a quick first course, this dish can be prepared well in advance. Just keep the sauce in the fridge then assemble the pasta. It can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Freezing is not the best option for this kind of pasta, or any pasta whatsoever.
Tips:
- To give a stringy touch to your pasta with aubergines, you can add diced mozzarella or smoked sausages.
- To make your dish more gritty, add chili pepper or chill flakes to he aubergine sauce upon cooking.
- Use the aubergine stew for bruschettas, just toast some bread, add the mix on top and serve with pleasure
Sicilian Aubergine Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta
- 2 medium aubergines
- 1 medium onion
- 3-4 medium garlic cloves
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oregano dry
- 1 medium chili pepper optional
Instructions
- Peel and wash the vegetables
- Finely chop the onion and the garlic and cook in skillet until translucent
- Cut the aubergines in cubes of 0.4 inches
- Add aubergine cubes to the skillet and sprinkle with seasoning
- Cover with lid and let simmer for 15 minutes. Then take off the to evaporate the liquid
- Chop the tomatoes in cubes and add to the cooked aubergines. Mix and let cook for 5 minutes
- Cook pasta according to package instructions and add to the skillet with aubergine stew. Gently mix
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil & grated parmesan and serve
