Pasta with roasted eggplant ricotta and basil is a delicious and satisfying vegetarian dish that's perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal or a lazy weekend brunch. The roasted eggplant adds a smoky and savory flavor to the dish, while the ricotta cheese and fresh basil provide a creamy and herbaceous balance. This article will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to make this delicious pasta dish, as well as tips on how to customize it according to your own preferences. So gather your ingredients, grab your cooking utensils, and let's get started on creating a culinary masterpiece that will tantalize your taste buds!
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EGGPLANT CAPONATA PASTA WITH RICOTTA AND BASIL
This weeknight pasta is inspired by traditional caponata, a tangy, salty-sweet Italian dish made with sautéed eggplant, tomatoes, caramelized onions, capers, anchovies, olives and vinegar. Though caponata is often served as a side, salad or relish, this eggplant sauté forms the foundation of a hearty vegetarian pasta. For the best results, taste and season your eggplant mixture with salt and pepper as you cook little by little - or even recklessly. It should taste quite salty and tangy on its own, but will mellow when tossed with pasta, pasta water and creamy ricotta.
Provided by Alexa Weibel
Categories dinner, weekday, pastas, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
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.
PASTA WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT, RICOTTA, AND BASIL
Categories Cheese Herb Pasta Vegetable Appetizer Quick & Easy Fall Gourmet Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield Serves 2
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- In a jelly-roll pan toss eggplant with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper to taste and roast in oven, shaking pan occasionally, until golden and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
- While eggplant is roasting, in a heavy skillet cook onion, garlic, and bell pepper with salt and pepper to taste in remaining tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.
- Add tomatoes and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes and pepper are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in vinegar and roasted eggplant.
- In a kettle of boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente and drain well, reserving about 3/4 cup cooking water. In a bowl toss pasta well with sauce, ricotta, basil, Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, and enough reserved cooking water to reach desired consistency.
PASTA WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT, PEPPER AND GARLIC
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories dinner, easy, weekday, pastas, main course
Time 1h
Yield 3 to 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Turn on the broiler and set a rack 6 inches from the heat. Toss the eggplant with 2 tablespoons oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and spread it in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Broil, tossing once halfway through, until the eggplant is golden but not cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn off the broiler and heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Toss the peppers and garlic with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread on another baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the eggplant, peppers and garlic until they are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Slip the garlic cloves from their peels and mash them in a small bowl with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk in the remaining 4 tablespoons oil, the vinegar and the pepper flakes.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain. Toss with the vegetables, the mashed garlic, the ricotta and the herbs. Add more salt and vinegar to taste.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 587, UnsaturatedFat 22 grams, Carbohydrate 64 grams, Fat 31 grams, Fiber 11 grams, Protein 16 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 874 milligrams, Sugar 12 grams
PASTA WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT SAUCE
If you like eggplant, you should try this! The sauce for this pasta is made by roasting eggplant and garlic in the oven, then making a paste from it after it's soft. Make sure you find the perfect eggplant, otherwise it could leave you with a bitter recipe. It turned out great for me!
Provided by TERESA64151
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Tomato
Time 45m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Spread eggplants and garlic cloves on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush with 1/2 cup olive oil; season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the preheated oven until soft, about 20 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil while eggplants and garlic are roasting. Add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Place eggplants and garlic in a food processor; process into a smooth paste. Stir paste into the onions in the skillet. Stir in tomatoes. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Toss hot penne and basil into the sauce and mix together.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 827.2 calories, Carbohydrate 104.8 g, Fat 37.8 g, Fiber 12.4 g, Protein 19.5 g, SaturatedFat 5.5 g, Sodium 359.1 mg, Sugar 15 g
PASTA WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT SAUCE AND RICOTTA SALATA
I love this dish, Pasta alla Norma. Traditionally, it is made with 1 whole cup of EVOO and lots of chopped baby eggplant. It's good, but if you don't find just the right eggplant to use, the dish can be greasy and bitter. The recipe below is a take-off on Norma that includes all the same elements, but it is never bitter and uses much less oil (making Norma's figure a little better!).
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Place a large pot of water on to boil.
- Place the eggplant on a cookie sheet. Pour about 1/2 cup EVOO into a dish. Brush the eggplant lightly with the EVOO. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper. Add the garlic to the cookie sheet and dab it with EVOO as well. Roast for 20 minutes or until both the garlic and the eggplant are tender.
- When the water comes to a boil, salt it liberally and add the pasta. Cook the pasta al dente, with a bite to it.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO and the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Place the cooked eggplant and the garlic in a food processor and process it into a smooth paste. Add the eggplant paste to the cooked onions then stir in the crushed tomatoes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Toss with the drained hot pasta and the shredded or torn basil. Top the pasta with lots of crumbled ricotta salata.
Tips:
- Choose ripe, firm eggplants for roasting. Avoid eggplants that are bruised or have blemishes.
- To prevent the eggplant from absorbing too much oil, slice it thinly and pat it dry with paper towels before roasting.
- Roast the eggplant at a high temperature (425°F) for a short amount of time (20-25 minutes) to caramelize the edges and achieve a tender-crisp texture.
- Allow the roasted eggplant to cool slightly before adding it to the pasta. This will help prevent the pasta from becoming watery.
- Use a good quality ricotta cheese for the filling. Fresh, whole milk ricotta has the best flavor and texture.
- Season the ricotta filling generously with salt and pepper. This will help to balance out the sweetness of the roasted eggplant.
- Add chopped fresh basil to the pasta just before serving. This will brighten up the dish and add a pop of flavor.
Conclusion:
This pasta dish is a delicious and easy way to enjoy roasted eggplant. The combination of roasted eggplant, ricotta cheese, and basil is a classic Italian flavor combination that is sure to please everyone. This dish is perfect for a light lunch or dinner, and it can also be served as a side dish.
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