Fresh Basil Pasta With Eggplant And Tomato 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 ALLA NORMA (TOMATO AND EGGPLANT PASTA)

Steps:

• Heat up the olive oil, then stir in the eggplant, making sure it all gets coated in oil. Let cook, stirring occasionally, for about ten to fifteen minutes.
• Add the garlic and chili flakes to the pan and cook, stirring, for a couple more minutes.
• Add the tomatoes to the pan, then crush them and break them up with a wooden spoon. Pour in the balsamic vinegar, then add the sugar/honey. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the eggplant is nice and soft.
• At the end of the cooking time, season well and stir in most of the basil.
• Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to the packet instructions (until al dente is best). Then drain, reserving some of the water.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and toss until well coated. Add enough of the reserved cooking water to make the dish nice and smooth and 'silky'.
• Rip the mozzarella into the pan and stir again briefly.
• Serve out into bowls immediately. Top with grated parmesan and the remaining fresh basil.

EGGPLANT AND TOMATO PASTA RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons oil a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the eggplant and a generous pinch of salt and allow to cook, shaking and tossing occasionally, until eggplants are brown and have fully softened, 10 to 11 minutes. If eggplant threatens to burn, reduce heat to medium. Transfer to a bowl, cover with foil, and set aside.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan and increase the heat to medium high. When shimmering, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red chili flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer. Once the tomatoes have softened, gently break them apart with a potato masher. Cook until the sauce has thickened, seasoning to taste, 8 to 10 minutes. Then add the broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
• Add the pasta and cover, over medium heat, making sure there are active and vigorous bubbles. Stir occasionally to make sure the sauce isn't sticking and allow to cook until the pasta is firm to the bite, 12 to 15 minutes, and stir in the eggplant. Tear the mozzarella into small chunks and add to the pan, heating until just starting to melt, about 1 minute. Stir in basil, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

EGGPLANT CAPONATA PASTA WITH RICOTTA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the raisins, sugar, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and let cook about 2 minutes, then cover and set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high. Stir in half the eggplant to coat evenly in the oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. (Eggplant should brown and tenderize but still maintain its shape.) Heat another 1/4 cup oil, then add remaining eggplant; season and repeat.
• While the eggplant cooks, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta. (You might not use all the pasta water.)
• Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the shallot, pine nuts, capers, garlic and red-pepper flakes, stirring frequently, until the shallot is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the eggplant, along with the sliced basil and vinegar.
• Strain the soaked raisins, discarding the soaking liquid, then add the raisins to the eggplant mixture and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. The mixture should taste quite aggressively salty and tangy, but it will mellow when tossed with pasta and ricotta. (Eggplant mixture can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
• Add eggplant mixture, pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the pot. Toss to coat over medium heat until eggplant is warmed, adding extra pasta water if necessary. Divide among shallow bowls, top with ricotta and additional torn basil and serve immediately. Pass with additional olive oil for drizzling, if desired.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spread out eggplant cubes and peppers on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 3 tablespoons oil and season well with salt. Roast, turning everything, until eggplant and peppers are very soft and deeply golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in well-salted boiling water until about 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain.
• Using the large holes of a box grater, grate tomatoes over a large skillet so the pulp falls into the skillet. To do this, hold on to the curved side of the tomato in your hand and slide the cut, flat side across the holes. Stop grating just before you reach the skin.
• Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan with the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer until tomato pulp is reduced by half, then season to taste with salt.
• Add the pasta, capers and butter, if using, to the pan with the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, tossing until butter melts and pasta finishes cooking, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and toss in eggplant and cheese, if using.
• Serve pasta drizzled with a little more oil and the herbs.

EGGPLANT, TOMATO AND BASIL ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Trim the ends from the eggplant and slice lengthwise 1/8-inch thick.
• Place each eggplant slice on a lightly sprayed saute pan over medium low heat to slightly toast. The eggplant should be moist and pliable. Keep the saute pan warm.
• Slice the tomatoes 1/8-inch thick.
• Lay the eggplant slices flat and lay a tomato slice at the bottom and place a basil leaf on top of the tomato. Grind some fresh pepper over the basil/tomato. Combine the cheeses and sprinkle a teaspoon of the cheeses and a pinch of the chile on top of the basil leaf.
• Roll-up the eggplant/tomato lengthwise and place seam side down in the warmed saute pan. Repeat until all the eggplant are rolled up. Bring the heat up to medium and slightly sear the roll-ups. Turn to brown all sides.

EGGPLANT AND TOMATO PASTA

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a colander and season generously with salt. Fill a 1-gallon plastic bag with water, seal tightly and place over eggplant to weigh down. Let stand for 40 minutes.
• Rinse the salt off the eggplant, and pat dry. Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add eggplant and cook, stirring often, until golden brown on all sides, about 20 minutes.
• Add garlic, tomatoes and their juice to the pan. Stir in the sugar and salt. Simmer until sauce has slightly thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes or longer depending on how juicy your tomatoes are. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the basil and cook 1 minute more. Serve over pasta.

TOMATO BASIL PASTA

Steps:

• Stir tomatoes, onion, olive oil, garlic, and basil together in a bowl.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook fusilli in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but firm to the bite, 12 minutes. Drain.
• Toss warm pasta with feta cheese and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Stir tomato mixture into pasta and season with salt and pepper.