Penne with Eggplant Puree

This fantastic vegetarian pasta dish is another recipe from Giada’s Kitchen.  We had this flavorful, slightly spicy penne with Garlic and Sun-dried Tomato Corn Muffins for a memorable luncheon.

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 garlic cloves, whole
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• Combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in a large bowl; toss to coat.
• Place the veggie mixture evenly on your prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 35 minutes or until the eggplant is golden brown.
• Add pine nuts to a small baking dish and bake for 8 minutes, transfer to a bowl to cool.  This can be done with the vegetables are roasting.
• Prepare penne by boiling in salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender but still firm.  Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid.
• Pulse roasted vegetables, mint, and extra-virgin olive oil in a food processor until smooth but with some small bits of vegetable remaining.
• Add pureed vegetables and Parmesan cheese to pasta.  Stir.  Gradually add cooking liquid until the pasta is saucy.
• Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

Serves 4 – 6

Lois Britton

An accountant by trade and a food blogger since 2009, Lois Britton fell in love with Polish cuisine during the years she lived in Poznań, Poland. As the creator of PolishHousewife.com,  she loves connecting readers with traditional Polish recipes. Lois has a graduate certificate in Food Writing and Photography from the University of South Florida. She is the author of The Polish Housewife Cookbook, available on Amazon and on her website.