Eggplant Pasta Salad Recipes

PASTA ALLA NORMA (EGGPLANT PASTA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 240°C / 450°F (220°C fan). Line a tray with baking / parchment paper.
• Toss eggplant with oil, salt and pepper. Spread on the tray and roast for 20 minutes.
• Flip, then roast for a further 5 minutes. Cool on tray (this helps the eggplant hold its shape when tossing).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Start cooking the pasta a couple of minutes after you start making the sauce (next section), until al dente or to your liking.
• Heat oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, cook for 20 seconds until golden, then add onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent and cooked through.
• Increase heat to medium-high and add wine, if using. Let it simmer, scraping the base of the pan to deglaze, until the wine mostly evaporates.
• Add tomato passata. Now pour the water into the passata bottle, screw on the lid, shake, and pour that in too (waste nothing!)
• Add dried herbs, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir and simmer 5 minutes.
• Stir in eggplant, then add cooked and drained pasta. GENTLY toss until pasta is coated in the sauce (so the eggplant doesn't turn into complete mush!).
• Serve immediately, garnished with a good pinch of fresh basil and parmesan.

PASTA SALAD ALLA NORMA

Steps:

• Put the eggplant in a colander and toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand, tossing occasionally, for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse and drain well, then pat dry with paper towels.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to the package directions.
• While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, capers and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes start to break down, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the drained pasta to the bowl with the eggplant mixture and stir in the vinegar; add salt to taste. Let stand until cooled to slightly warm or room temperature, then stir in the mozzarella and basil. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

PASTA SALAD WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT, CHILE AND MINT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. On rimmed baking sheet, toss together eggplant, 3 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread into one layer. Roast, tossing occasionally, until the eggplant is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Place tomato in large bowl and sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne to al dente according to package instructions; drain well.
• While pasta cooks, heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. Stir in garlic, anchovies and chile flakes, and cook until golden and soft, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and, using slotted spoon, transfer garlic to cutting board. Let garlic cool for a few minutes, then chop up and add back to the oil. Pour garlic-chile into bowl with tomatoes. Add eggplant and capers, and toss well.
• Add pasta to bowl with eggplant and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste, and drizzle generously with oil. Toss in herbs and serve warm or at room temperature.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND BELL PEPPER SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining olive oil to the skillet; add eggplant and bell pepper. Saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add tomato, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper; cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Return sauteed onion to the skillet. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Transfer eggplant mixture to a baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Cool before serving, about 1 hour.

EGGPLANT AND SAUSAGE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain in a colander and let cool a bit before transferring the pasta to a large bowl. Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons olive oil and mix to combine.
• Add the eggplant to the prepared baking sheet; drizzle with the 1/4 cup olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss it all together. Roast until golden, tender and caramelized, about 30 minutes.
• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and saute until cooked through, using the back of a wooden spoon to crumble the sausage, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook until heated through and starting to soften a bit, 1 minute. Add the sausage mixture to the pasta bowl. Add the lemon juice, basil, parsley, olives and roasted eggplant to the bowl and toss together. Top with the feta cheese. Serve at room temperature.

GRILLED RATATOUILLE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for medium heat. Toss zucchini, eggplant, and 1/4 cup oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Grill, turning often, until steamy, tender, and charred all over, 8-12 minutes. Return to baking sheet and let cool.
• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Slice grilled vegetables into bite-size pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Add tomato, cheese, vinegar, thyme, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and 1/2 cup oil and mix to combine. Drain pasta and immediately add to bowl with vegetables. Mix well to combine, then top with basil.
• Do Ahead: Vegetables can be grilled 3 days ahead. Transfer (whole) to an airtight container and chill.

MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE EGGPLANT PASTA

Steps:

• Arrange eggplant slices in a colander and sprinkle with enough salt to lightly coat; drain for about 10 minutes. Rinse eggplant and pat dry with paper towels. Chop eggplant into cubes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pappardelle at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 to 11 minutes; drain.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir eggplant, adding more oil if eggplant gets dry, until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer eggplant to a bowl, reserving oil in the skillet.
• Heat remaining oil in the same skillet; cook and stir onion and garlic until golden, about 10 minutes. Return eggplant to skillet and season with oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute more.
• Mix tomatoes, vinegar, salt, sugar, and black pepper into eggplant mixture; cover skillet and simmer sauce until eggplant is softened, about 10 minutes. Mix sauce with pasta in a bowl; top with mozzarella cheese and basil.

EGGPLANT PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the celery and cook, 3 minutes. Stir in the eggplant and tomatoes.
• In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste, vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the sugar. Stir into the eggplant. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the capers, pine nuts (if using), and parsley.
• Meanwhile, cook the penne according to the package directions. Toss with the remaining oil, let cool, and cover. Combine the eggplant with the pasta before serving.