Eggplant. Gross, right? Before you close this webpage and run screaming in the other direction, hear me out.
Eggplant is actually an amazing addition to your vegan meal plan. Not only is it rich in essential vitamins and minerals, eggplant also packs an impressive amount of fiber. Plus, it’s even been shown to be effective in controlling high cholesterol.
Okay, but does it taste good? And what about that funky sponge-like texture?
Admittedly, eggplant does feel really weird to the touch before it’s been cooked. However, when it’s sautéed or baked, eggplant takes on a surprising meat-like consistency – similar to a portobella mushroom.
If you’re gluten-free or trying to cut back on carbohydrates, eggplant holds up wonderfully as a stand in for pizza crust and bread.
Eggplant also goes great in fall soups or diced and mixed into an Asian stir-fry. You can get it at the supermarket year round, but eggplant is at its best from August through October when it’s in season.
As you can see, eggplant is extremely versatile and the options are practically endless. If you’ve never tried this purple beauty before, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That’s why we’ve picked two of our favorite recipes to get you started.
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Adapted From: Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant
- olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced (about 2 cups sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 handful basil leaves, chiffonade or chopped
- 1 handful parsley leaves, chopped
- kosher salt
- 1 lb. penne
- sherry vinegar
- 2 cups tomato sauce (You can use store bought or make this one)
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Cut the eggplants into cubes, about 3/4 inch, toss with a little olive oil and spread them out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast for 25 minutes or until the eggplant is just browned.
- Start boiling the water for the pasta. When the water is ready, cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- While the eggplant and pasta is cooking, heat a large sauté pan with the olive oil and onions over medium heat. Sauté the onions until caramelized. If you haven’t caramelized onions before, check out this post. Once they’re nice and brown, add the garlic and cook for just a minute, and then add a splash or two of sherry vinegar to the pan. Add the eggplant, tomato sauce, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Heat the sauce to simmering. Drain the pasta, add it to the tomato sauce pan, and toss gently. Finally, add the basil and half the parsely to the pan.
- Serve the pasta with a little sprinkle of the chopped parseley.
Keywords: pasta, easy, eggplant
This is amazing!! I just started eating vegan a few days ago and food like this is better than what I ate before. Thank you!
Hi Kayla – Absolutely! So glad you liked it 🙂
On the penne recipe, is there a reason you don’t salt, drain, and dry the eggplant before roasting? Thanks! I’m going to try this tonight with eggplant from my garden.
The eggplant is fine if it’s a little on the moister side. I wouldn’t worry about salting and such since it isn’t breaded. Hope you enjoy it!
Do you peel the eggplant first for the penne?
Hi Dianna! No need to peel, enjoy!
Ever since I became vegan I’ve always seeked vegan pasta recipes and I have to say most of them don’t turn out that good but this eggplant pasta was heavenly I thought I’d give it a try and I was really surprised! I really liked how it doesn’t need that much seasoning but still tastes so good !
Thank you
Funny enough I have eggplants sitting in the fridge to use! I’m looking forward to trying this sauce – it looks so yummy!
Question, do you think the sauce could be frozen incase there’s any leftovers?
Yes, absolutely it could be frozen! Enjoy 🙂
This was delicious, great recipe! Definitely a new favorite!
How would you adjust for dried herbs in the penne recipe?
Hey Becca – For dried herbs, use half as much.
Sounds supa delicious!! I gonna try for my boss.
What can I use instead of sherry vinegar
Any vinegar will do – red wine vinegar would work especially well.
We LOVE the”Eggplant, Caramelized Onion and Tomato Pasta” dish.!!!! We live in Costa Rica with amazing farmers markets with fresh vegi’s galore year round and always beautiful eggplants, zucchini, butternut squash! After having a “good” but not great eggplant dish at a local italian restaurant I have been researching how to make my own. I have never cooked with eggplant my entire marriage ( 40 years!) but finally settled on trying your “Eggplant, Caramelized Onion and Tomato Pasta” dish because roasting the eggplant sounded like it would have so much more flavor than other recipes but was not sure about the carmelized onions. Made a few additions and didn’t have sherry vinegar ( not a Costa Rican item and imports are $$$$) but we LOVED this dish and is now in our list for serving with company!
That’s fantastic news! And truth be told, this is one of the only eggplant dishes I enjoy. I think it is the roasting that brings out the flavor.
Guilty of having never tried eggplant before. My dad hated it and told me it was gross. But I didn’t want to pass down this trait to my kids of claiming to not like something without having even tried it. I am so glad that I tried this dish!!! Soooooooo good! Huge hit with the family including my 5yo. Thank you very much for sharing. Super easy. Minimal ingredients. Ready in a jiffy. Loved it!