Author Notes
This is a recipe I created for some gorgeous purple eggplants and fresh roma tomatoes at my local farmers market last summer, but it I just remembered it again and realized it works well as a hearty winter pasta dish, using canned tomatoes, and the year round ingredients of eggplant and Italian parsley. Eggplants can soak up an alarming amount of oil, but here I prepare slices under the broiler, brushed with olive oil. The broiled eggplant has a rich, creamy texture that is echoed in the creaminess of the melted feta but contrasted by the cheese's sharpness. This sauce goes well with any kind of pasta, but I especially like it with whole wheat fettucini. —Fairmount_market
Ingredients
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12
roma tomatoes, diced or 1 large can tomatoes
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1
small onion, diced
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4
cloves garlic, minced
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1
large or 2 small eggplants
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3 tablespoons
olive oil and more for brushing eggplants
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3 or 4 ounces
feta cheese, cubed
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1 cup
chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
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1/4 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
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1 pound
pasta, such as whole wheat fettucini
Directions
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Heat the broiler. Slice eggplants and brush with olive oil. Broil about 8 minutes per side, until nicely browned and cooked through. Chop into bite sized pieces and reserve.
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In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and cook the onion until translucent, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook a couple minutes longer. Add the tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally while you heat the pasta water and cook the pasta.
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When the sauce is thickened and fragrant, turn off the heat and stir in the eggplant, feta, and parsley. Then toss in the cooked pasta. Enjoy.
I'm a biology professor and mother of two, and in my (limited) free time I love to cook, which is much more forgiving than laboratory science. Last year I helped start a farmers market in my neighborhood, and to promote it, I created a food blog: fairmountmarket.blogspot.com. I enjoy the challenge of coming up with recipes for local, seasonal ingredients and finding fun ways to cook with my children.
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