Weekday meals for me are almost always easy. Unless I'm in the mood to cook up a storm (which usually only happens on the weekends) dinners have to take less than 45 minutes to prepare, from cutting board to plate. Not because I don't enjoy cooking, but because on weekdays I want to get home from work, eat dinner, and then relax.This dish was one of those awesome meals that you can make in about 30 minutes. Yay!
I saw this severely misshapen eggplant at the farmers market and I had to have him. I mean, who else would buy him and truly appreciate all of the weird nooks and crannies in his purple skin? To me, he looked like the people on Wall-E.
Eggplant and Tomato Pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup red wine
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2-3/4 lb penne
Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add eggplant to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until eggplant are cooked and slightly reduced in size. Add tomatoes to the pan and stir to combine. Next, slowly pour the wine into the pan and cook to reduce slightly, about 1-2 minutes. Add basil, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to the sauce, stir and cover. Reduce heat to medium low and let sauce simmer for 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and add pasta to the sauce. Stir to combine. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.
Enjoy!
