With eggplant, juicy tomatoes, and rigatoni pasta this is soon to become one of your favorite dishes! This eggplant tomato recipe is a vegan take on the Sicilian dish Pasta alla Norma, or pasta con le melanzane ‘pasta with eggplant’. Enter your email & we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from us every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Hurry the Food Up.
Ingredients
Veggies A ripe eggplant is just the right vegetable for this dish. It gives a great meaty texture without the meat so it’s perfect for a vegan recipe like this one. The savory flavor of the eggplant pairs perfectly with tomatoes. A cup of cherry tomatoes is going to give a lovely sweetness especially when they burst with flavor in the pan. Add these to some fresh bell peppers in oil (or piquillo peppers) and it will make for a delicious eggplant tomato sauce. A great way to add some protein to pasta dishes is by throwing in some hearty beans. Navy beans will help to create a nice filling meal, Italian-inspired comfort food at its finest. To get some greens in there I’ve gone with kale as it’s full of nutrients, but you can always add spinach or cavolo nero for a more authentic Italian taste. PastaA great option to hold all that lovely sauce has got to be tubular pasta, I think rigatoni is perfect, but penne pasta would also be a great alternative. Herbs Like any authentic Mediterranean dish, herbs are really going to add a depth of flavor to the eggplant mixture. For this easy recipe, I’m going with classic thyme and rosemary. I am definitely going to recommend fresh herbs over dried ones if you can get them. They just give you a stronger aroma that is just what your homemade tomato sauce needs. But of course, if dried is all you have they will do.
How many calories are in eggplant tomato pasta?
This meal will give you a healthy 545 calories and 24 grams of protein. And here is an overview of the nutritional information
Health benefits
According to Web MD eggplant isn’t the most nutritious veg but it has a good supply of vitamins A and C as well as potassium and fiber, just like peppers. Tomatoes are the major dietary source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. Kale is another of the superfoods in this dish. Full of nutrients it is said to help lower cholesterol among other health issues. It’s also full of water which will help you to feel full if you’re trying to lose a bit of weight. And if you ever thought that you can’t have pasta when you’re watching the calories, then you’re wrong. Eating a healthy amount of carbs in the main meal is actually going to help keep you feeling fuller for longer. For more meal ideas to help with your weight loss journey you can download a FREE 7-day meal plan.
How to make the best eggplant pasta?
We’ve answered some of your questions on eggplant pasta recipes below: Here’s a quick rundown on how to make this eggplant pasta recipe:
Recipe variations
Pasta – If you can’t get rigatoni some regular pasta will be fine. Or bulk up that fiber with brown pasta if you want to be super healthy. For a low carb option, try zucchini noodles instead. Tomatoes – If you can’t find fresh tomatoes at your local store, you could easily create a fresh and healthy tomato sauce with plum tomatoes and tomato puree, no problem.
More recipes like this
If you like this here are some more simple recipes that I think you’ll love:
Amazing Aubergine Curry Easy Tomato Spinach Pasta Authentic Baba Ganoush
I really hope you love this pasta dish with tomato and eggplant sauce. I think it’s best served with a sprinkling of vegan parmesan cheese, green salad or some freshly baked garlic bread (this won’t be included in the nutritional information). Whichever way you eat it it’s sure to go down a treat with the whole family.
