When I think of comfort food, 9 times out of 10 I’m thinking of pasta. Loads of it, and it’s bathed in a creamy sauce and tons of cheese. Don’t judge. That’s why it’s called comfort food. It’s supposed to make us forget our troubles. Until an hour later when we have even more troubles, in the form of a bad stomach ache.
Fortunately for me, I have found a way to have my rich and creamy pasta without all of the cream.
There is magic that happens when you purée roasted eggplant and toss it with hot pasta and pasta water. It creates a sauce that is so luscious and creamy, it tastes like a cheat.
Here’s what you need:
How to make roasted eggplant puree:
Peel and dice a medium eggplant and toss it into a large bowl with the whole cloves of garlic, salt and olive oil. I throw in a red bell pepper as well because I love the flavor and it adds even more nutrition to the dish.
Dump everything onto a large sheet pan lined with parchment. Make sure each piece has its own space. If everything is crowded together, they will steam and not brown properly. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
Oh hey there little beauties!
Purée the roasted veg.
Chuck all the roasted veggies into a food processor and purée until smooth. Dump the purée into the biggest bowl you have along with the softened goat cheese. This bowl is where the whole dish is going to come together.
By the way, this right here makes an awesome dip for fresh veggies or pita if your not feeling like pasta. Just saying…
Which shape of pasta to use…
Let’s talk about pasta. For this particular dish, my preferred pasta is orecchiette. The sauce is quite thick and the orecchiette act like dozens of tiny, adorable bowls holding it for me.
Always save a little pasta water.
Before you drain your pasta, reserve some of the pasta water. As a general rule, I always do this, even if I don’t think I need it. You just never know. With this dish, you are definitely going to need it. Why do I use pasta water instead of just tap water? It’s already seasoned and it’s starchy from cooking the pasta. Pasta water gives you a much richer sauce than tap water.
Toss the pasta with the purée and the goat cheese. Stir in a little pasta water at a time until the sauce is comes together. Add lemon juice and taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
How to serve creamy roasted eggplant pasta:
There are endless possibilities for toppings for this pasta! My favorites are tomato, fresh basil and parmesan. Some other great toppings would be:
- Italian sausage
- artichoke hearts
- olives
- grilled shrimp
- capers
- sun-dried tomatoes
- roasted mushrooms
More recipes to try:
Creamy Roasted Eggplant Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant peeled and diced into 1 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 red bell pepper diced into 1 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 garlic cloves whole, peeled
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice about half a lemon
- 3 ounces goat cheese softened
- 8 ounces pasta orecchiette or other short pasta
- olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Arrange eggplant, red bell pepper and garlic on a sheet tray and toss with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing halfway through the cooking time. Puree the vegetables in a food processor until smooth then transfer to a large mixing bowl with the softened goat cheese. Cook pasta in a large pot of salty water until it reaches desired doneness. Reserve about a half cup of the pasta water before draining.Immediately transfer drained pasta to the bowl with the eggplant puree and goat cheese. Add lemon juice. Mix well adding reserved pasta water as needed. Serve as it is or with garnishes such as parmesan, fresh herbs, tomato, italian sausage or any other of your favorite ingredients.
Looks delicious.