Eggplant and Pasta

I had one too many eggplants in my refrigerator last week and after making melitzanosalata (eggplant spread) with the more traditional small purple eggplants my neighbor gave me straight from his yard, I decided to use the two white eggplants I'd bought from a farm stand to make this pasta dish. I used it here layered between pasta and tomato sauce. It was easy, quick (would have been quicker had I had a batch of the tomato sauce on hand) and made for great leftovers.

The white eggplant was a pleasant surprise: a much less bitter type of eggplant than its dark purple cousin. I have to admit though that my favorite are the Sicilian eggplants I sometimes find which have an amazingly sweet flavor. You can use any eggplant here, of course, and alter the herbs and type of pasta to your liking.

I'm submitting this dish to this week's Presto Pasta Nights hosted by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.

Kali Orexi!

Baked Eggplant and Pasta

Serves 6

2 white eggplants, about 1 pound each
1 pound penne
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
3/4 cup grated pecorino romano
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Olive Oil

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice eggplant into 1/2-inch rounds and place on an oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle with additional olive oil, salt and pepper and bake until tender and golden.

Cook the penne in the boiling water until almost done; about 5 minutes. Drain and toss with 3/4 cup of tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Grease a baking dish with olive oil. Add about 1/3 cup tomato sauce to the dish and top with half the bread crumbs. Layer half the penne and then top with half of the eggplant slices. Add about 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with half the grated cheese and chopped parsley. Repeat with the remaining tomato sauce, bread crumbs, pasta, eggplant, cheese, and parsley, topping with an additional drizzle of olive oil.

Bake until golden.

Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of dried thyme

Pinch of dried basil
1 carrot, shredded
2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes

Pinch of sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion and garlic, cooking until soft. Add the herbs and carrot and cook until the carrot is soft. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil, stirring often; add sugar. Lower the heat and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. (I used half of this recipe for the above pasta dish and stored the remaining sauce in the freezer for future use.)