Pasta with Eggplants, my version with rigatoni, eggplants, and provolone cheese, simple and quick to prepare for a delicious first course to present to your guests.
I wanted a tasty pasta with the delicious flavors of spring/summer, so I took a few ingredients from the fridge: eggplants, red tomatoes, and provolone cheese, and created this first course. To speed up the process, I sliced the eggplants with the food processor, which allowed me to fry them in just a few minutes, making them even drier. I chose to fry them in a pan with vegetable oil, but for those who prefer a lighter cuisine, you can fry them in the air fryer. The result is the same, it just takes more time for cooking since you need to cook them in two batches; otherwise, the cooking will not be even.
For lovers of quick-to-make pasta dishes, I also remind you of
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 1,773.18 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 78.02 (g) of which sugars 8.77 (g)
- Proteins 23.93 (g)
- Fat 156.56 (g) of which saturated 26.60 (g)of which unsaturated 118.64 (g)
- Fibers 6.67 (g)
- Sodium 946.31 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 263 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants (medium)
- 2 cups cups vegetable oil (for frying)
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tomatoes (red for sauce)
- to taste salt
- to taste chili powder
- 5 oz oz provolone cheese
- to taste chopped parsley
- 12 oz oz rigatoni
- 4 cups cups water (for boiling pasta)
- 2 cloves garlic
Tools
No special tools are needed, just a good frying pan for the pasta, but I also recommend an air fryer for those who want to use it
- Frying Pans
- 1 Air Fryer
Preparation
Wash the eggplants well and remove the stem, slice them very finely; I personally used a food processor. They do not need to rest; you can use them right after slicing.
Put the vegetable oil in a large pan and bring it to frying temperature; to understand when the oil is hot, dip the tip of a toothpick in it—if bubbles form around it, the oil is ready for frying. Fry all the eggplants; it will take a few minutes. I cooked them by dividing them into two portions, drained them on absorbent paper, and set them aside.
While frying the eggplants, bring water to a boil for the pasta with a pinch of coarse salt, according to your taste; when the water boils, add the pasta and set the timer to drain it, following the instructions on the pasta package you bought. Each brand has its own cooking time. Set it for al dente cooking because you will need to toss the pasta in a pan.
While the pasta is cooking, put the extra virgin olive oil in a pan with the two whole garlic cloves and chili pepper and let them roast for a bit, add the chopped red tomatoes, adjust the salt, and let cook for about 5 minutes on high heat, then turn off the stove. Cut the provolone cheese into small pieces. Before draining the pasta, turn the heat back on under the tomatoes, pour in the pasta—not too dry (I recommend keeping a bit of the cooking water aside)—and start tossing it on high heat. Add all the provolone cheese and mix well; if it gets too dry, add a bit of the cooking water, turn off the heat, and always mixing, add the fried eggplants and serve.
NOTES
Pasta with eggplants is best eaten freshly tossed because you’ll have the provolone all melty, but I won’t deny that it’s also good at room temperature, making it a great idea for summer evening dinners outdoors with friends.
This recipe contains one or more affiliate links.
If you liked the recipe or have any questions, don’t hesitate to comment here or on social media Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.
