A traditional pasta Puttanesca is one of my family’s favorite of all Italian dishes. Always on the short list of requests when I go home to Baton Rouge to visit my Mom, this time I changed up the classic red sauce, studded with briny olives, capers and fresh herbs, and added in hearty pieces of roasted eggplant. Served over al dente linguine and garnished with Parmesan cheese and a slice of creamy, decadent fresh mozzarella, my Pasta Puttanesca with Eggplant will quickly become of your family’s most requested dishes in no time.
Simmering the traditional sauce with an addition of roasted eggplant
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Pasta Puttanesca with Eggplant
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. linguine, preferably whole wheat
- 1 large eggplant, sliced into ½-inch rounds
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2-(28 oz. cans) crushed tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed well
- 2 cups mixed black and green olives
- 1 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Grated Paremsan cheese, for serving
- 1 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into ½-inch rounds, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking dish with parchment paper. Place the eggplant rounds on the baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast the eggplant rounds in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Let the eggplant slices cool and then dice them.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- To make the sauce, place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add in the crushed red pepper and anchovy paste and cook for 1 minute. To the pot add the diced onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are tender and translucent. Add in the sliced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- To the pot, add in the crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Then add in the cooked eggplant, capers, olives, balsamic vinegar and dried herbs. Reduce the heat to low and cook the sauce for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- To serve, divide the cooked pasta amongst pasta bowl and top with some of the sauce. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese and a slice of the fresh mozzarella cheese.
Tagged: balsamic vinegar, capers, crushed tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, eggplant, fresh mozzarella cheese, garlic, Italian, Italy, linguine, marinara, mozzarella cheese, olives, onion, Parmesan cheese, pasta, pasta puttanesca, roasted eggplant, tomato sauce, yellow onion
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