Pasta with Grilled Eggplants

I’ll be happy to help you with the recipe for pasta with grilled eggplants, a simple yet truly delicious dish. Here’s how to prepare it.

Ingredients

• 320 g of pasta (penne, rigatoni, or spaghetti work well)
• 2 medium eggplants
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 400 g of peeled tomatoes or tomato puree
• Fresh basil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Salted ricotta (optional for garnish)

Preparation

1. Start by washing the eggplants, remove the ends and cut them into slices about 0.5 cm thick.
2. Heat a grill and once it is hot, grill the eggplant slices on both sides until they are nicely browned and soft. If you want, you can brush the slices with a little oil before grilling. Season them lightly with salt after grilling.
3. Once grilled, set the eggplants aside. In a large pan, sauté the garlic with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
4. Add the peeled tomatoes or tomato puree to the pan and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
5. While the sauce is cooking, bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente following the instructions on the package.
6. Cut the grilled eggplants into strips or cubes and add them to the tomato sauce.
7. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the sauce and eggplants. Sauté everything together for a minute so that the pasta absorbs the flavor of the sauce.
8. Add hand-torn fresh basil and mix well.
9. Serve the pasta hot, and if you wish, add a sprinkle of Parmesan or pieces of salted ricotta to enrich the dish.

Trivia

Eggplants are a widely used ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, especially in Italy. They are perfect for grilling as this cooking method enhances their flavor and gives them a pleasantly soft texture. Furthermore, salted ricotta is a typical cheese from Southern Italy and adds a nice salty contrast to the sweetness of the eggplants and the acidity of the tomato.