Sun-Dried Tomato Eggplant Pasta
I'm always looking to challenge myself and I've never cooked with sun-dried tomatoes before or eggplant! I gave it a go and wow, this was stunning! This Sun-Dried Tomato Eggplant Pasta was buttery, garlicky, and full of surprises! The flavor profile was so complex! You get the tender veggies, the little hint of spice, the long pasta to twirl around your fork - the little salty punch of feta! It was so unique and unlike anything I've ever had or seen before! Eggplant is extremely underrated! My husband said it was like a restaurant dish, which made me feel really proud! This was also really easy to make, and my kids loved it!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti noodles cooked to package instructions
- 1 large eggplant deseeded and diced
- 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups spinach
- ¾ cup sun-dried tomatoes + 1 tbsp oil from the jar
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 oz feta cheese
- 1 tsp salt + more for the eggplant
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Optional garnishes:
- feta
- parsley
Instructions
To prep the eggplant:
- The very first step is to add your diced and deseeded eggplant to a large bowl and sprinkle some salt on it. Shake it up and sprinkle a little more to ensure all pieces get salted.
- Let it sit for 30 minutes. This helps to take the bitterness out of the eggplant which is really important for this recipe!
To make the sun-dried tomato eggplant pasta:
- In a large pot, boil some water with a touch of salt and oil in it, and start cooking pasta to package instructions. Be sure to reserve 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water before draining!
- Next, heat olive oil on medium heat in a large deep skillet.
- Add the eggplant to the pan and sauté for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Next add butter, onion, sun-dried tomatoes with the oil from them, and all seasonings. Turn heat to medium-low and cook another 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant, then carefully fold in cooked pasta.
- Slowly pour in pasta water, stirring as you incorporate, then stir in spinach.
- Cook for 2 minutes more until spinach has wilted.
- Remove from heat, then stir in the feta.
- Serve Sun-Dried Tomato Eggplant Pasta hot with additional feta and fresh parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Serving: 2cupsCalories: 455kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 11gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 650mgPotassium: 250mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1350IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 2.5mg
Please be aware that nutritional values are approximate and intended as a helpful guide
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