Made in 20 minutes this sundried tomato and eggplant pasta is a delicious and quick vegetarian dinner!
It's a wonderful way to put those garden eggplants to use.
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
Bites of garlicky eggplant mixed into a tomato-ricotta sauce and served over a bed of noodles, this pasta alla norma is the perfect dish to cozy up with!
Rich and flavorful, this dish can be dressed up for a hosted dinner or enjoyed in a pinch after work. The creamy sauce is lightly seasoned, and the sundried tomatoes give it a pop of savory flavor. It’s the perfect kind of pasta to enjoy any time of year.
More reasons you'll rave about this one:
Easy to make: This pasta with eggplant can be on your dinner table in just 20 minutes making it perfect for hectic evenings.
Versatile: You can serve the pasta as a vegetarian meal or top it with leftover rotisserie chicken for more of a protein punch.
Flavorful: It’s light but delicious tasting. The ricotta in the sauce gives it a cheesy, savory taste that is pure comfort in each bite.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
This pasta with sundried tomatoes and eggplant is simple to whip up and can be enjoyed as a vegetarian dish or topped with any meat you like.
A lot of the ingredients you probably have on hand already.
Here's a look at everything you'll need:
- Eggplant: This is one vegetable that can turn a bit bitter when it’s not fresh. So, try to time your purchase when making the pasta.
- Onions and garlic: Use sweet onion or regular, just make sure to mince these both so that they blend in well.
- Sundried tomatoes: You’ll want the tomatoes in the oil as you can use the flavored oil to sauté the vegetables and it packs a punch of flavor.
- Pantry staples: This pasta dish comes together with tomato paste, tomato puree, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper.
- Pasta: Any type of pasta you enjoy can be used. I used ziti. The shape holds sauce well and I just like the texture as well.
Optional Toppings
Try topping with grated Parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella, or sliced black olives for added flavor!
Simple yet such a classic Italian way to cook eggplant. Pasta alla Norma is tried and true for a reason!
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
Here's a look at the cooking process, step by step:
- Cook pasta until al dente in texture. Reserve some cooking water.
- Sauté eggplant, onion, and garlic until tender.
- Add in sundried tomatoes and cook.
- Stir in remaining ingredients including pasta.
- Adjust consistency of sauce with reserved water.
- Portion pasta and garnish with parmesan.
Enjoy!
★ Tips & FAQs ★
How do I store leftover pasta?
Let the pasta cool fully before storing it in an airtight container. It will stay fresh for 5 days in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer. To reheat it, let it thaw in the fridge if necessary. Then, pop it into the microwave and heat it in intervals until warmed through.
What do I do if my sauce is too thick?
After you’ve mixed in the pasta, you can adjust the consistency of the sauce. If you like it thick and a bit sticky, leave it as-is and serve. If you want to thin it out a bit, slowly add in some of the reserved water from cooking the noodles. Mix that well and let it simmer down until it reaches your desired consistency.
How do I serve sundried tomato and eggplant pasta?
This pasta dish can be used as the main course or as a side dish. Serve it with fresh, chopped parsley for a pop of color and grated parmesan cheese. You can top the pasta with leftover chicken as well if you wish to add more protein.
What is al dente?
This is used to describe pasta that is mostly cooked but still a bit stiff. You want to cook the pasta for this recipe al dente as it will cook a bit further once you mix it into the sauce.
What type of pasta is best?
Smaller noodles like penne or macaroni noodles work best for this recipe. You can use any kind you like. If using gluten-free noodles, opt for quinoa-based ones as they hold together better.
★ More Recipes You'll Love ★
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Check out all my easy pasta recipes and Pin your favorites for later.
Easy Pasta alla Norma (Eggplant Pasta)
Ingredients
Pasta
- 8 oz ziti reserve ½ cup of water from cooking
Eggplant and Sauce
- 1 eggplant diced into small pieces
- 1 white onion minced
- 2 teaspoon garlic paste
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 4 tablespoon oil from the sundried tomatoes
- 29 oz tomato purée
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 oz ricotta cheese
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese more or less to taste
- 3.8 oz sliced black olives drained
- red pepper flakes to taste for spice (optional)
Mighty Mrs. is a #WalmartPartner.
Instructions
- Cook pasta, reserve pasta water. Prepare pasta according to al dente package instruction. Generously salt the water and stir while cooking. Drain pasta and reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water.
- Cook and season eggplant. Heat a large skillet with 4 tablespoons of the sun dried tomato oil over medium heat. Sauté eggplant, onion, and garlic until tender. It will take about 6-8 minutes.
- Make sauce. Add sliced sundried tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato purée, tomato paste, ricotta, smoked paprika and cooked pasta and pasta water. Stir all together and cook until heated through.
- Season and serve. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and freshly grated Parmesan. If you like olives, add them! If not, it's fine to skip.
Notes
- The skin of an eggplant is edible but it can be chewy. So, it's up to you if you want to peel your eggplant or not.
- Feel free to add salt to taste.
- If you are a cheese-lover, try adding a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese on top before serving.
Equipment
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