This pasta with eggplant and cherry tomatoes is flavored with minced red chilies and garlic. This spaghetti with eggplant and cherry tomatoes is flavored with minced red chilies and garlic. A tomato is a fruit and a tomato is a vegetable. They get along with other vegetables in this category nicely. This is made up of eggplant. When cooked in a pan until they start to separate, they are delicious. The outcome is a lumpy mixture that isn't quite sauce but may be used to season a simple pasta meal. Many aromatics are present in my tomato-eggplant meal. Chopped garlic is needed. Red peppers that have been chopped are added next. Spaghetti is spicy, as one could expect. It's easy to mix things up by adding eggplant and peppers to the usual olive oil, garlic, and Parmesan. WHY DO TOMATOES AND EGGPLANTS GO SO WELL TOGETHER? (EVEN MORE SO IN PASTA) This dish was influenced by the traditional Sicilian pasta alla norma, which is made with sautéed eggplant, tomato sauce, and ricotta that has been salted. One of my favorite ways to prepare and eat cherry tomatoes is to sauté them rather than making a traditional tomato sauce. This explains why, on hectic weeknights, I like spaghetti with burst tomatoes. And the tomato-eggplant spaghetti allows the tomatoes to share the limelight. TIPS FOR SAUTEING EGGPLANTS Salt is used to season the eggplant. Do not skip this step, please. Some of the excessive moisture in the eggplant may be removed by salting it. Extra water must be drained from the eggplant since it may get mushy. This reduces the likelihood that the eggplant will completely absorb the pan's oil and get greasy. Don't load the skillet too full. I sauté half of the leftover eggplant before prepping it. This is because I want the eggplant to brown in the pan rather than steam. Boiling it in stages is thus important. Investigate the degree of completeness. A well prepared eggplant will have a caramelized exterior and an inside that is soft, creamy, and smooth. The texture and flavor that make eggplant so fantastic will be gone if it is undercooked. SUBSTANCES AND INGREDIENTS
- Penne is my preferred sort of pasta because of its tubular form and ridges. Another wonderful choice is rigatoni.
- The skin of the eggplant should be smooth and tight. Avoid those who have weak points. For this spaghetti dish, think about using an eggplant of medium size.
- Because of their little size, cherry tomatoes are excellent. I divide them in half and leave half whole. These sliced tomatoes will break down and thicken. The whole ones may crease or rupture. A good substitute are grape tomatoes.
- The Fresno pepper has a mild amount of heat. This spaghetti dish calls for the minced whole chile. If you're worried about the dish being too hot, cut the chili in half or add just a little amount of red pepper flakes.
- Garlic gives the pasta the most taste when combined with the chiles.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Only use the best extra virgin olive oil.
- Salt and pepper are necessary to properly prepare the eggplant. The dish should then be seasoned with salt and pepper.
- I like adding finely shaved Parmesan on spaghetti as a garnish. Use of nutritional yeast will keep the meal vegan.
- I garnish fresh herbs and other green meals with chopped parsley. Add fresh, torn basil leaves as an alternative.
EGGPLANTS AND TOMATOES IN PASTA
- Salt is used to season the eggplant. Salt and chopped eggplant are combined in a sieve. Allow it to settle for 20 minutes. I like to do this in a sink or on a plate so that the moisture released may be collected. The surface should then be gently dried using a towel.
- Salty water is used to boil the pasta. Cook in accordance with the recipe's package directions. The pasta should be relatively firm and al dente.
- The olive oil should be heated in a large pot over medium heat. Prepare the eggplant and tomatoes while the pasta cooks.
- Get the eggplant ready, it is best to do this activity in two groups. After three to four minutes, it ought to be creamy in the center and gently browned on the exterior. Refill the pan with all of the cooked eggplants at that point.
- After adding them, sauté the garlic and chiles for one minute, or until fragrant.
- Add salt, pepper, and tomatoes as desired. Cook for a considerable amount of time. It will result in wrinkled, juicy tomatoes. Some of them are going to crumble.
- Pasta, tomatoes, and eggplant should all be combined. If you time it right, you should be able to move the pasta directly from the pot it was cooking in to the pan using a slotted spoon.
- Parsley that has just been cut and Parmesan cheese shavings should be used to decorate the pasta.
- SERVING
- Include an arugula salad with a lemon vinaigrette as a side dish. For something a bit different, try a chopped Italian salad.
LEFTOVERS In an airtight container, refrigerate leftovers for up to three days. Spaghetti may be eaten cold or made into a pasta salad by adding veggies. You can also reheat it in the microwave or in a pan over medium heat with a little bit of olive oil. NOTES
- Don't forget to season the eggplant. It will be advantageous to remove part of the water before sautéing since it won't absorb all of the oil in the pan.
- Slice or mince half or one-fourth of a Fresno chili if you don't want your meal to be very hot. You may also eliminate the chili and use red pepper flakes in its place.
- Use rigatoni instead of penne if you don't have it.
- For the parsley, you may alternatively use fresh basil.
- In an airtight container, refrigerate leftovers for up to three days. Serve them cold as a pasta salad with greens. Heat them in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little oil.