Garlic Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Pasta

It’s summer time and the tomatoes are easy!  Actually, the eggplants are here in abundance as well.  As you all know roasting vegetables concentrates their flavors and adds a hint of smokiness that enhances everything under the sun.  Here’s a simple dish that is tons tastier than the effort required to make it.  Because it is made from the ripest tomatoes and the sweetest baby eggplant brushed with garlic-infused olive oil and roasted until sticky and intense.  Just toss them with pasta to spread the love.

Ingredients

11 small eggplants

Sea salt
2-3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil plus more for greasing the baking sheet

3 medium red ripe tomatoes

10 1/2 oz or 300g your pasta of choice (I used whole wheat penne.)

Parmesan for serving (optional)

Method

Preheat our oven to 400°F or 200°C and grease your baking sheet with olive oil. 

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and layer them in a colander.  Sprinkle each layer with salt and leave to drain.

Mince the garlic and pop it in a small pot with the 1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil.  Heat the oil gently and remove it from the stove as soon as the garlic starts to sizzle a little bit.  You do not want it to turn brown at all.

Slice the tomatoes into thick slices and cut the little core pieces out.  Lay the slices out your greased baking sheet.

Rinse the salt and the brown stuff off of the eggplants and line them up on the baking sheet with the tomatoes.

Brush the eggplants and tomato slices with the garlic infused olive oil.  Sprinkle everything with sea salt.

Pop the baking pan in the oven and roast for 20-30 minutes or until the edges of the vegetables are turning brown.  Turn them over and brush them again with more of the garlic olive oil.  

Return the baking pan to the oven for another 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to package instructions in some lightly salted water.  When the pasta is boiled, reserve a cup of the pasta water and drain the rest. 

Return the pasta to the hot pot and pour the remaining garlic olive oil into the pasta and stir.

When the vegetables are done, scrape the baking pan to remove the eggplants and tomato slices and any sticky stuff you can get off of the pan as well.

Add them to the pasta pot and stir thoroughly.  

If the pasta seems dry, add a little of the reserved pasta water. Serve with some grated Parmesan, if desired.

This dish is so rich and flavorful!

Enjoy!