Spaghetti with Roasted Eggplant Sauce
There have been several dessert posts coming out of the bb kitchen lately. Have you noticed? I need to tell you that this is Not all that we’ve been eating. As a matter of fact, I had a beautiful globe eggplant sitting in my veggie bin waiting patiently for my attention. What to do with it?
I grew up in a Bronx neighborhood called Pelham Parkway, where the demographics were 50% Jews and 50% Italians. We were influenced by the smell emanating from Josie’s (Italian) kitchen next door, even though we probably didn’t realize it at the time. From that kitchen came a dish that we eventually adopted as our own, eggplant parmigiana. The breading, the frying, the layering, the massive amounts of cheese–delicious, but you get the picture. Not a good shot of living to a ripe old age if we continue eating this way. Is this a post for eggplant parmigiana? A glance at the title of the post indicates, no, it is not. I guess I digress. But it definitely calls for a future post to be titled Eggplant Parmigiana Redux. I’ll add it to my to-do list.
My thoughts turned to making a healthful sauce featuring that eggplant, supported by a few friends from our garden.
Look what we just brought in from our container garden! (OK, not the garlic)
My thoughts turned to pasta. I love pasta. My Novio loves pasta. But we’re coming out of a season involving mega-challah consumption, oodles of noodle kugel, and buffet tables groaning under the weight of all the desserts. Oy!
But wait! A quick inventory of my pantry revealed – drum roll, please – quinoa pasta!! That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, quinoa occasionally can be spotted around town masquerading as spaghetti (or macaroni, or rotelli). You heard me – I would never lie to you. And here is the proof:
And now, back to our regularly scheduled eggplant. Roasting’s the thing. Yes, my lads and ladies, I beseech you to get out your roasting pans and preheat that oven!
Cut up the sweet peppers.
Choose the seasoning.
There are several high-quality spice companies that I’m fond of, and Pereg is up on that list.
Remember our eggplant? Cut into bite-sized pieces.
Spaghetti with Roasted Eggplant Sauce
Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, sliced into thin rounds, about 1/8″ thick olive oil, 1 T. for eggplant, 2 T. for sauce 1/2 lb. spaghetti (use any favorite pasta, I used quinoa spaghetti) 1 onion, chopped 1 small yellow or red pepper (or a combo), diced 1 med green pepper, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced salt and pepper 1 and 1/2 t. Pereg meatball spice blend *see bb note below for spice blend details)*bb Note: I happened upon this Israeli Mixed Spices for Meat Balls by Pereg. It’s a high quality line of spices and food products and this is a terrific combo. BUT you can easily come up with a reasonable facsimile at home. The only item that’s missing is rosebuds (really). Here’s how:
- 1/2 t. ground ginger
- 1/2 t. cinnamon
- 1/4 t. white or black pepper
- 1/8 t. allspice
- 1/8 t. of nutmeg
- small pinch of cloves
Be sure to add lots of love, as the Pereg people do.
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 400°.
Place sliced eggplant on greased baking sheet. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil (about 1 tablespoon), and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake for 15 minutes or until tender. After the eggplant slices cool a bit, give them a very rough dice (you want to see them with the pasta).
Meanwhile, boil water for pasta.
As water is brought to a boil and pasta cooks, saute veggies. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet. Saute chopped onion for 5 minutes with salt, pepper and seasonings. Add diced peppers and continue to saute until just tender, about 5 more minutes. Add garlic and stir into veggie mix.
Add bite-sized pieces of eggplant to skillet. Gently place pasta in skillet. Stir, cover and gently steam for 3-5 minutes.The oil and the moisture from the veggies should be enough to coat the pasta. If not, add a few spoons of the pasta water. Oops! Did I forget to mention to save a bit of that water? There’s a lesson to be learned here.**
Adjust seasonings.
** Second bb Note:
Always read a recipe through, no matter how simple or complex, to ensure you have all the ingredients/utensils you need.
ANOTHER NOTE: This recipe is highly adaptable. Use two medium diced tomatoes in last 3 minutes of veggie steaming. Use canned tomatoes. Don’t use tomatoes. Substitute peppers for zucchini or mushrooms or add both to sauce. Add 1/4 c. white OR red wine as veggies are sauteing.
Serve with a few spoons of shredded or grated cheese. Also great without cheese or with a shredded non-dairy cheese. A lot of choices? You bet!!
This dish fed two hungry people. We got to have seconds.
Eggplant is meaty enough to be substituted for meat in a pasta dish:) If only I could fool my middle child who despises eggplant! I should not complain as my kids like pretty much every food, with one or two exceptions (lucky me!)
And I did not believe for a second that all you ate was desserts – they are just much better behaving at photo sessions:)
I think you CAN fool her! Cut the roasted eggplant up smaller after it’s roasted and hide the eggplant somewhere before you’re ready to prepare it- good luck- somewhat sneaky J