10-Ingredient Roasted Eggplant Pasta
Servings: 4
Calories: 515kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound eggplant
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper
- 2 tablespoons regular olive oil or avocado oil + extra oil for roasting garlic
- 1 small head of garlic
- 8 ounces medium-shaped pasta of choice
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley (leaves and tender stems)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 medium lemon, zested*
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2-3 tablespoons tahini (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F/232°C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or drizzle with some oil to prevent the eggplant from sticking.
- Prep the eggplant. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the eggplant in alternating strips from top to bottom (you can peel them entirely, but I like the zebra look). Slice the eggplants into 1 ½-inch (~4 cm) thick wedges and add to the baking sheet. Drizzle with the 2 tablespoons regular olive oil or avocado oil, a generous amount of salt, and black pepper to taste. Toss well and arrange the eggplant in a single layer.
- Prep the garlic. Remove the outer layers of the garlic head and then slice off a thin layer off the top to expose the skin of the cloves. Rub the exposed cloves with a bit of olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil to make a packet. Place the packet on the same baking sheet as the eggplant.
- Roast the eggplant for 25-35 minutes, or until the eggplant is deeply golden brown on the outside yet very soft and tender, tossing halfway through.For skinnier, thin-skinned varieties of eggplant, roast 25 minutes.For larger eggplants roast for 25 minutes at 450°F, then turn the heat down to 400°F and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes.The garlic should also take 25 to 35 minutes to roast (the garlic is done when cloves are very soft and practically oozing out of their skins).
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Bring a pot of generously salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain.
- Meanwhile, make the gremolata. Finely chop the parsley, then chop the thyme leaves and mix together. Using a microplane, zest the lemon directly on top of the herbs and then sprinkle with some sea salt or kosher salt and toss to combine.
- Meanwhile, make the zucchini ribbons. Using a Y-shaped vegetable peeler, shave the zucchini lengthwise in a downwards motion to get wide vegetable ribbons. Once you get to the core, it will be hard to continue shaving. Save the core for another use, like stir-fries or freeze it for smoothies.
- Make the roasted garlic dressing. When the garlic is done roasting and is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves into a small bowl. Mash with a fork, add in the lemon juice, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk together, and then drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil and whisk until emulsified.
- Assemble the pasta. Add the hot cooked pasta to a serving bowl and add the zucchini ribbons. Sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt and pepper, then dress with the roasted garlic dressing and toss to combine. Add the roasted eggplant, and toss to combine again. Top the eggplant pasta with the gremolata and toasted walnuts. Transfer to serving bowls and top each bowl with a drizzle of tahini, if desired.
Video
Notes
* Younger, thinner-skinned eggplant are the best option for this recipe. They cook more quickly, and they more readily become soft, tender, and jammy. See the section above on “Varieties of Eggplant and Eggplant Cooking Tips” for more info on eggplant varieties.
** Do not use extra virgin olive oil for roasting the eggplant, as the high roasting temperature is well past its smoke point.
*** To toast walnuts, add them to a dry skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Once cooled, roughly chop.