With chilies and garlic, this cherry tomato eggplant pasta is an easy, filling dinner that has lots of flavor with a kick of spice and heat.
Ingredients
1 medium eggplant, diced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
12 ounces rigatoni or penne
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red chili, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, half kept whole and the rest halved
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Chopped parsley for serving
Shaved Parmesan for serving
Instructions
Toss the eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in a strainer. Let the eggplant sit for 20 minutes. Pat dry with a towel.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the eggplant in 2 batches until it starts to brown and turn soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and chilies, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and continue cooking for a few minutes. The tomatoes will get juicy and some will fall apart with the eggplant.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta straight from the pot to the skillet. Stir the pasta into the tomato eggplant mixture.