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Spicy Eggplant Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella

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This spicy eggplant pasta with fresh mozzarella is literally a must on a busy weeknight.  So I’m not going to lie, the hubby and kids all used to say that they were not fans of eggplant but I never let that stop me from making it and guess what?  They actually really do like it.  I started small and would make eggplant parmesan and just not tell anyone that it had eggplant in it and they really never knew.  Then slowly, they were eating it more and more and I had this massive feeling of accomplishment.  It really doesn’t take much to make me happy.  Anyway, this recipe is a must and don’t let the “non-eggplant” people turn their nose up at you.  Just forge ahead with confidence and they will see the light!!  Check out how easy this dish is to make.

Very simple cast of characters here.  You just need an eggplant, your favorite pasta (we went for this gluten free brown rice penne), your favorite marinara, fresh mozzarella, basil and some red chili flakes.

You’ll want to start by salting the eggplant to let it sweat.  This gets rid of any potential bitterness that it may have.  Rinse it well after it hangs out with the salt and pat it dry.

Then dice it up into pretty little cubes and cook it in a skillet over medium high heat.  Let it cook for about 15 minutes until the edges are a nice golden brown then add the marinara.  While this is happening, cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Then to serve, spoon the pasta into a bowl and top with the eggplant marinara mixture, some fresh mozzarella, red pepper flakes (to your desired heat) and some fresh basil.  Yum!  This dish is a total win!!


Spicy Eggplant Pasta with Fresh Mozzarella
 
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 medium eggplant
  • kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp good quality olive oil
  • 12 oz brown rice gluten free pasta
  • 1 C fresh mozzarella, chopped
  • red pepper flakes - to taste
  • ¼ C fresh basil, chiffonade
  • 1 jar marinara sauce (we used Mezzetta brand caramelized onion and butter)
Instructions
  1. Cut the ends off of each side of the eggplant and slice eggplant into ½ inch slices. Place a generous amount of salt on each side of eggplant and allow to “sweat” for 30-60 minutes. Rinse eggplant thoroughly and pat dry. Chop slices into ½ inch squares.
  2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, cook for approx 15 minutes until all sides of eggplant are golden brown and completely cooked though. Reduce heat to low and add marinara sauce.
  3. While the eggplant is cooking boil pasta noodles to cook, drain and return to the pan. Add a few large spoonfuls of eggplant/marinara sauce to the pasta and mix to incorporate.
  4. Dish pasta evenly into bowls. Top with eggplant/marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, desired amount of red pepper flakes and fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Cheesy Eggplant Roll-ups

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We are obsessed with all things eggplant and these delicious cheesy eggplant roll-ups are no exception!  Wow!  This recipe started out as a fun experiment that turned out to be totally worth repeating!  Not only is this dish totally delicious, it’s also really simple to make.  You want to know the other good news?  There’s no dredging the eggplant in bread crumbs or frying them in butter or oil here. Sound like a win?  We think so.  Oh, and there’s cheese so that part makes us happy too.

To begin, just clean and dry your eggplants and slice them into 1/4 inch slices, discarding the ends.  Toss them in a bowl with some olive oil and be sure they are coated evenly.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and lay the eggplant slices on each pan.  Sprinkle with kosher salt on both sides. Place them in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

While the eggplant is in the oven, you can get started on the ricotta mixture.  In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, fresh basil and garlic.  Grate the zucchini and be sure to squeeze out any excess liquid.  Add the zucchini to the ricotta mixture and season with salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.

Before you begin the assembly process, pour 1 cup of the marinara on the bottom of a large baking dish.  Working one at a time, lay an eggplant slice on a flat work surface and spoon the ricotta mixture onto the middle of the eggplant.  Fold up the eggplant and pinch the ends together.  Don’t worry, it will stay together…just give it a little pinch!  Line the roll ups into the baking dish and top with remaining marinara and then sprinkle with the fontina cheese.  Pop them back into the oven for 15 minutes until they are nice and bubbly.  We recommend broiling for the last 2 minutes so the cheese gets nice and golden brown.  Your house is going to smell divine!  Yum!

Check out some of our other favorite ricotta dishes:

http://www.goodthymekitchen.com/crustless-quiche-sweet-corn-zucchini-ricotta/

http://www.goodthymekitchen.com/sauteed-vegetables-with-ricotta/

Cheesy Eggplant Roll-ups
 
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Serves: Makes 10-12 roll-ups
Ingredients
  • 2 medium eggplants
  • ¼ C good quality olive oil
  • 16 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ⅓ C fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 small zuchinni, grated (or 1 cup)
  • 1½ C marinara sauce (homemade or your favorite jarred brand)
  • ½ C fontina cheese
  • kosher salt & ground pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Cut the stem off of of each eggplant. Cut eggplant lengthwise into ¼ inch slices, discarding each side piece. Place eggplant into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, toss to evenly coat each side of eggplant slices.
  3. Line two large rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper. Line eggplant on pans and season with kosher salt, roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
  4. While eggplant is roasting assemble the filling. In a medium bowl and add ricotta, egg, basil and garlic. Grate zuchinni and squeeze out any excess water with your hand. Add zuchinni to the mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste - approx ½ tsp each. Mix with a spoon until all ingredients are incorporated.
  5. Line a large casserole pan with 1 C marinara sauce. Begin by laying one eggplant slice flat on a work surface. Spoon approx 3 Tbsp ricotta mixture to line a strip in the center of the eggplant. Pull the sides of the eggplant together and pinch the tops to connect them, the eggplant will hold to the other side. Line roll-ups in the casserole dish. Distribute remaining marinara over the tops of the roll-ups, sprinkle with fontina cheese.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes until bubbly. Broil the last 2 minutes of cooking until cheese turns golden brown. Remove from oven and serve.

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

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We are not reinventing the wheel with this one but if roasting vegetables is something you aren’t used to doing, you need to start, pronto!  Sometimes you buy fresh veggies at the grocery store only to get home and watch them sit in the fridge.  Right, anyone else with me on that one?  If you can’t think of a way to incorporate them into a recipe, roasting them is always an option and they taste damn good this way.  If you want to add a little extra zing to your typical roasted vegetables tossed in olive oil and S&P, you need to try this super simple recipe for balsamic roasted veggies.  Adding balsamic vinegar, garlic and dijon mustard will take your veggies to the next level amazing.

 

Aside from serving these veggies as a side for dinner, I love to roast up a bunch of veggies and set them out if we are entertaining for lunch.  I set out a tray of these balsamic roasted vegetables with some assorted cold cuts, cheese and rolls and let guests build their own sandwiches. It makes for an easy lunch that everyone loves and you can sit back, relax and enjoy your company because you won’t be slaving away in the kitchen, all the work has already been done.

These balsamic veggies are also ridiculously good stuffed into a panini sandwich with melty cheese or as part of a wrap.  For this round I roasted baby bell peppers, japanese eggplant and portabella mushrooms. You really can use most any type of vegetable you have on hand so it’s fun to make a different combination every time.  Let us know what combos you come up with!

 

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 japanese eggplant, cut into 1 inch rounds with rounds cut in half
  • 2 portabella mushrooms, sliced
  • 18-24 mini peppers, halved with seeds and membranes removed
  • ¼ C balsamic vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp dijon mustard
  • ⅓ C olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tsp kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Whisk vinegar, garlic and mustard in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Dressing can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
  2. Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss vegetables in a bowl with balsamic/dijon dressing. Divide vegetables between 2 large rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with kosher salt. Roast until vegetables are tender and slightly brown around edges, about 30 minutes.
  3. Serve immediately or store in airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.