Simple Bucatini and Eggplant
Simple Bucatini and Eggplant is a delicious, fast and easy recipe idea. Made with olive oil, fresh Italian parsley, garlic and chopped eggplant then tossed together with bucatini noodles. This simple yet perfect Pasta Dish will make you think you are in Italy.
There is nothing like summer with all the over abundance of vegetables from your garden or your local farmer. I love the idea that in Canada you can have baskets of fresh off the vine vegetables delivered straight to your door once a week or visit all the local fresh markets around town.
Lucky for me, in Italy we have enough land to grow our own and living in a part of the country where we really don’t have to worry about frost we can basically grow fresh veggies 12 months out of the year.
Although every vegetable has its season, sometimes I will hear the phrase “that again?” So this is where imagination and keeping your eyes and ears open in the grocery stores and in everyone else’s kitchen comes in handy.
How many Recipes have I discovered that way?
In fact the first time I ever tried this Pasta and Eggplant recipe was in Italy, in my mother-in-law’s kitchen. She served this Pasta dish for lunch.
I wasn’t very familiar with eggplant and really had no idea what it tasted like. But oh my goodness when I did taste it, it was out of this world!
So this little underrated and unknown to me and I am sure to many others, Pasta and Eggplant dish soon became my favourite for quite a while and in fact it is still one of my favourites.
How to make the perfect Eggplant and Pasta Recipe
- Slice the eggplant in 1 inch (2 – 1/2 centimeter) strips or cubes if you prefer.
- Toss the sliced eggplant with a little salt and let sit for about 20 minutes, (this is to bring out any bitterness in the eggplant).
- I often read that you should rinse the eggplant before using, but my mother-in-law never did so I don’t either, that way you don’t need to add any extra salt to the recipe.
- Saute the eggplant, garlic, herbs, olive oil and a little water together on medium low heat. And a dash or two of hot pepper flakes.
- Cook your pasta separately and always al dente.
- Add the cooked pasta and half a ladle of pasta water to the hot cooked eggplant and saute together for a couple of minutes. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
What’s the best Pasta to use?
- When I make this pasta and eggplant I prefer to use a pasta called Bucatini.
Whenever I make this dish I think, yup now I know why I like it so much! And don’t forget to add a little sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. Buon Appetito!
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
- Creamy Pasta Boscaiola with Mushrooms and Sausage
- Pasta Pepper Cream Sauce
- Easy Tomato Sauce
- Tomato, Eggplant & Sausage Pasta
Simple Bucatini and Eggplant
Ingredients
- 2 small to medium eggplants (sliced diced or small wedges, I the skin on but you can also remove it if you prefer, if it is very seedy remove the seeds also)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 -2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1-2 pinches hot pepper flakes (if desired)
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 cups cooked pasta
Instructions
- In a medium bowl add the sliced or cubed eggplant and toss with 1 teaspoon of salt, let sit for 20 minutes, then drain but do not rinse.
- In a large pan add olive oil, garlic, oregano, hot pepper flakes, parsley and drained eggplant. Gently combine together, then add the water, cook uncovered on low/medium heat for approximately 15-20 minutes (stirring occasionally), then raise the heat a little, and continue to cook until the water has evaporated and eggplant is tender and golden. Toss with 3 cups cooked pasta, and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
- While the eggplant is cooking bring a large pot of water to boiling and add a little salt. Cook the pasta al dente. Then add to the cooked eggplant, add a half ladle of pasta water and cook on medium tossing gently for approximately a minute. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Reposted from July 19, 2014 and still delicious!
Very easy to make. Added orange bell pepper also.
Hi Lola, thanks, glad you liked it. Take care!
This is a keeper! It’s delicious! Brings out the eggplant:s flavor perfectly. Served it with a healthy dose of parmesan and black pepper – really really good!
Hi Eva, thanks so much, it’s one of my favourites! Take care!
Googled: eggplant + pasta and your recipe came up first. It doesn’t look super sexy but it tastes
absolutely fabulous!
I’ve just made it again.
Thanks to you and your mother in law!
gabi
Hi Gabriella, thanks so much and I know, I keep redoing the recipe (not that I mind because it’s one of our favourites) but the photos are not great lol. Take care.
Do you know if this sauce will freeze well? I have a ton of fairy tail eggplant, and was curious.
Hi Stephanie, I would freeze the drained eggplant, bag it and freeze it. When you are ready to use just continue with the recipe. I probably wouldn’t even thaw it. Hope that helps.
Do you have a recipe for pickled eggplant? We used to put that on an anti pasta plate along with the other goodies. Thanks Cia
Hi CIA, I do, I will try to get it up this weekend. 🙂
the simplicity of this recipe had me skeptical, however because time was short and my eggplant needed to be used up I gave it a try. It was more than satisfactory and will be filed since it is the perfect solution for a quick meal that is delicious.
Hi Ulrike, thanks so much, this was one of the first pasta recipes my MIL made and it became one of my favourites. Sometimes the simplest are the best. Take care.
I may be missing it, but how much uncooked pasta do you cook? 8 ounces, 16 ounces?
Hi Laura, it’s 3 cups cooked pasta. A cup of cooked pasta is roughly 2 ounces. So I would say 6-8 ounces should do it. Hope that helps.
Can you use barilla spaghetti pasta or does it have to be the bucatini pasta?
Hi Desiree, sure spaghetti would work, also rigatoni, penne pretty much whatever you prefer. It’s just usually made with bucatini but you can switch it up. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know.
I finally got my five-year-old daughter to eat eggplant with this recipe. Thank you!
Hi Lily, thanks, that’s great, glad she liked it. Have a great week.
We lay enjoyed this! I haven’t cooked eggplant often and this was easy and tasty. I used fresh oregano from the garden and added a couple of spoons of leftover taco beef to use that up and then thought it was too dry so I threw in 1/2 tin of tomatoes including the juice. Yum!
Hi Kathleen, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Have a wonderful Sunday.
I wan’t crazy about the eggplant’s texture at the level of doneness achieved in the prescribed amount of time, but it might be down to using a regular eggplant instead of “Italian” or “Sicilian” ones (quotes because all eggplants originate in Asia, of course). Nevertheless, it was still tasty and I’ll certainly make it again with a longer cooking time/more water for the eggplant. Greetings from Ottawa.
Oh my gosh I have that exact bowl!! A TJ Max find 😉
Hi Amanda, I got mine at homesense in Toronto, actually I got two and I love them.