• Cooking Tips
  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclosure/Privacy
  • Recipe Index

Sign Up for My Newsletter and free EBook ✉️
  • Home
  • About Me – Rosemary Molloy
    • Contact
    • Disclosure/Privacy
  • Recipes
  • Ingredient
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Chocolate
    • Eggs
    • Fish & Seafood
    • fruit
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Potatoes
    • Vegetables
  • Course
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast / Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Pasta
    • Casseroles & Bakes
    • Pizza / Bread
    • Salads
    • Soups & Stews
  • Desserts
    • Cookies & Bars
    • Donuts & Pastries
    • Frostings & Glazes
    • Homemade Candy
    • Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts
    • Muffins & Sweet Breads
    • No-Bake Desserts
    • Tarts & Pies
  • Seasons
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fall/Winter
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
  • American Favorites
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Breakfast / Brunch
    • Drinks
    • Lunch
    • Main Dish
    • Desserts
    • Side Dishes

Sign Up for My Newsletter and free EBook ✉️

An Italian in my Kitchen

Authentic Italian Recipes

  • Recipes
  • Ingredient
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Chocolate
    • Eggs
    • Fish & Seafood
    • fruit
    • Nuts
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Potatoes
    • Vegetables
  • Course
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast / Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Main Dish
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Pasta
    • Casseroles & Bakes
    • Pizza / Bread
    • Salads
    • Soups & Stews
    • Desserts
      • Cookies & Bars
      • Donuts & Pastries
      • Frostings & Glazes
      • Homemade Candy
      • Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts
      • Muffins & Sweet Breads
      • No-Bake Desserts
      • Tarts & Pies
  • Seasons
    • Cooking Tips for Making it Italian
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fall/Winter
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Recipe Collections
  • American Favorites
    • Drinks
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Main Dish
    • Desserts
Home » Ingredient » Pasta » Simple Bucatini and Eggplant

Simple Bucatini and Eggplant

By: Rosemary Published: April 22, 2018 Updated on: February 6, 2023

Share

Share
Pin
Email
Jump to Recipe

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.

pasta and eggplant in a pan and on a plate

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.

eggplant and pasta how to make eggplant raw, and cooked in a pan

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.

eggplant in a pan with parmesan cheese in a small bowl

Table of Contents

  • How to make the perfect Eggplant and Pasta Recipe
  • What’s the best Pasta to use?
      • Never Miss a Recipe!
  • More Delicious Pasta Recipes
  • Simple Bucatini and Eggplant
    • Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 1x2x3x
    • Instructions 
    • Nutrition

How to make the perfect Eggplant and Pasta Recipe

  1. Slice the eggplant in 1 inch (2 – 1/2  centimeter) strips or cubes if you prefer.
  2. 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).
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Cook your pasta separately and always al dente.
  6. 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.
eggplant and pasta in a black dish

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!

eggplant and pasta on a plate with parmesan cheese
Subscribe Today

Never Miss a Recipe!

Subscribe today and receive my free e-book of recipes!

    We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

    More Delicious Pasta Recipes

    • Creamy Pasta Boscaiola with Mushrooms and Sausage
    • Pasta Pepper Cream Sauce
    • Easy Tomato Sauce
    eggplant in a pan with parmesan cheese in a small bowl

    Simple Bucatini and Eggplant

    Rosemary Molloy
    Simple Pasta 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 pasta.  This simple yet perfect Pasta Dish will make you think you are in Italy.
    4.58 from 26 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 35 mins
    Course Pasta
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 180 kcal

    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

    Calories: 180kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 2gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 589mgPotassium: 545mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 370IUVitamin C: 10.2mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword bucatini recipe, eggplant bucatini, eggplant pasta recipe
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Reposted from July 19, 2014 and still delicious!

    Subscribe Today

    Never Miss a Recipe!

    Subscribe today and receive my free e-book of recipes!

      We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.


      Main Dish, Most Posts, Pasta, Summer, Vegetables

      Related

      Comments

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Recipe Rating




        This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

      1. Gabriella Kadar says

        January 25, 2021 at 6:56 pm

        5 stars
        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

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          January 26, 2021 at 8:06 pm

          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.

          Reply
      2. Stephanie says

        September 11, 2020 at 4:53 am

        Do you know if this sauce will freeze well? I have a ton of fairy tail eggplant, and was curious.

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          September 11, 2020 at 10:17 am

          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.

          Reply
      3. CIA says

        July 31, 2020 at 7:21 pm

        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

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          August 5, 2020 at 7:35 pm

          Hi CIA, I do, I will try to get it up this weekend. 🙂

          Reply
      4. Ulrike Johnston says

        July 12, 2020 at 6:59 pm

        5 stars
        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.

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          July 14, 2020 at 8:33 pm

          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.

          Reply
      5. Laura says

        October 14, 2019 at 11:22 pm

        I may be missing it, but how much uncooked pasta do you cook? 8 ounces, 16 ounces?

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          October 14, 2019 at 11:33 pm

          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.

          Reply
      6. Desiree says

        July 18, 2019 at 8:07 pm

        Can you use barilla spaghetti pasta or does it have to be the bucatini pasta?

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          July 18, 2019 at 8:18 pm

          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.

          Reply
      7. Lily Cong says

        May 19, 2019 at 9:53 pm

        5 stars
        I finally got my five-year-old daughter to eat eggplant with this recipe. Thank you!

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          May 20, 2019 at 7:47 am

          Hi Lily, thanks, that’s great, glad she liked it. Have a great week.

          Reply
      8. Kathleen says

        January 27, 2019 at 12:18 am

        4 stars
        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!

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          January 27, 2019 at 10:04 am

          Hi Kathleen, thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it. Have a wonderful Sunday.

          Reply
      9. Some Jerk says

        September 21, 2018 at 6:47 am

        4 stars
        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.

        Reply
      10. amanda91091 says

        August 14, 2014 at 8:23 pm

        5 stars
        Oh my gosh I have that exact bowl!! A TJ Max find 😉

        Reply
        • rose says

          August 14, 2014 at 9:58 pm

          Hi Amanda, I got mine at homesense in Toronto, actually I got two and I love them.

          Reply

      Hi, I'm Rosemary.

      Living in Italy I learned to cook authentic Italian dishes using whole ingredients, fresh veggies and delicious spices. So take a seat and have a taste! Read More

      Most Popular

      pizza dough 3 rounds on parchment paper

      Best Pizza Dough

      puff pastry cut in half stacked.

      Quick & Easy Homemade Puff Pastry

      Homemade Potato Gnocchi

      Pieces of fudge on parchment paper.

      Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge

      Sauce and pasta in a bowl with some on a fork.

      Authentic Bolognese Sauce

      5 stacked lemon cookies.

      Italian Lemon Cookies

      Filter By Date

      Readers Favorite Trending Recipes

      Ricotta cake on a glass cake stand.

      Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake

      pizza dough 3 rounds on parchment paper

      Best Pizza Dough

      puff pastry cut in half stacked.

      Quick & Easy Homemade Puff Pastry

      Homemade Potato Gnocchi

      Ingredients.

      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Chocolate
      • Eggs
      • Fish & Seafood
      • Pasta
      • Pork

      Course.

      • Appetizers & Snacks
      • Breakfast / Brunch
      • Drinks
      • Lunch
      • Main Dish

      Browse.

      • About Me – Rosemary Molloy
      • Contact
      • Disclosure/Privacy
      • Recipe Index
      Copyright ©2023, An Italian in my Kitchen. All Rights Reserved.
      Design by Pixel Me Designs