This recipe features rigatoni pasta tossed with tender pieces of eggplant, canned tomatoes, garlic, and fresh basil. The dish is simple, comforting, and perfect for a vegetarian dinner option.
Rigatoni with Eggplant
Ingredients
- 1 pound of rigatoni
- 1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to package instructions until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the olive oil to the skillet and heat until shimmering.
- Add the eggplant to the skillet and cook until tender and lightly browned, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the canned tomatoes and their juices to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
- Let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes until thickened slightly.
- Reserve some of the pasta cooking water and drain the rigatoni.
- Add the cooked rigatoni to the skillet with the sauce and toss to combine.
- If the sauce seems too thick, add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet to loosen it up.
- Add the chopped basil to the skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the rigatoni with eggplant hot, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
