Our smoky pasta with eggplant recipe is an easy and simple pasta recipe that’s perfect for a vegan weeknight dinner. You can make it with gluten-free pasta for a GF option. You can also make our homemade vegan pasta for a super fresh and hearty dish.
Published September 2, 2014 and updated February 2, 2020.
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A PASTA DINNER FILLED WITH EGGPLANT
If you’re looking for a simple pasta recipe that’s perfect for a busy weeknight or dinner and a movie on Saturday night, look no further.
This flavorful vegetarian pasta recipe is made with eggplant (aubergine), onion, garlic, green peas, mushrooms, herbs and spices that make this the ultimate vegan pasta recipe.
You can even make the vegetables ahead of time, which means all you’ll need to do is boil the pasta, heat the veggies, and combine.
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO COOK EGGPLANT?
Once upon a time, eggplant was a bitter vegetable, so people salted the heck out of it to mask the bitterness.
Thankfully, today’s eggplant isn’t bitter, so there’s no need to salt it for taste; however, salting it before cooking does draw out excess water and makes the eggplant creamier.
For this recipe, we’re skipping the process of salting it before we saute it, because we add salt to the eggplant while it’s cooking, and we want it to have a slightly firmer texture for this dish.
If you want a creamier texture, cube the eggplant and put it in a colander, sprinkle a liberal amount of kosher or sea salt on it, and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Rinse off the excess salt and pat dry the eggplant.
We rarely remove the skin because we like the texture, but feel free to remove it if you don’t like it.
You can roast eggplant or sauté it in a pan.
HOW TO MAKE EGGPLANT AND MUSHROOM PASTA
STEP ONE
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
Prepare the veggies and in a large skillet, heat the oil on medium high heat.
Add the onions and the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms release their water and are nicely browned, approximately 7 minutes.
Remove the onions and mushrooms from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
STEP TWO
Add more oil to the skillet and when it’s hot, add the eggplant and peas.
Evenly sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt in the pan and cook for approximately 7 to 10 minutes, or until the eggplant softens and begins to brown.
Put the mushrooms and onion back in the pan with the eggplant and the peas and add the garlic, pine nuts, and spices. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook for 3 more minutes.
STEP THREE
Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil and the vegan parmesan over the pasta and toss. Add the eggplant mixture to the pot and fold into the pasta until evenly distributed.
MORE VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN PASTA RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
SIMPLE 9 INGREDIENT BAKED VEGGIE PASTA
HEALTHY AND EASY HOMEMADE PASTA SAUCE
SPAGHETTI WITH PUMPKIN CREAM SAUCE
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Smoky Pasta with Eggplant
Equipment
- stove
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti or your favorite pasta
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil divided
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 2 large Portobello mushrooms diced
- 1 medium eggplant cubed (See Note)
- 1 cup peas
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon salt divided
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Pepper to taste
- ¼ cup vegan parmesan
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
- Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms release their water and are nicely browned, approximately 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and put in a bowl and set aside.
- Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the skillet and add the eggplant and peas, sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt on top and cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until the eggplant softens and is lightly browned. Stir often.
- Put the onions and mushrooms in the pan with the eggplant and add the toasted pine nuts, garlic, 2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and black pepper to taste and stir to combine. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot. Drizzle the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and the ¼ cup of vegan parmesan over the pasta and toss to coat. Fold in the eggplant and mushroom mixture to the pot until the vegetables are evenly distributed.
Notes
Nutrition
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Trish says
Insanely good! So much flavor and texture. Entire family loved it, even the pickiest! Def a keeper to make often. Thank you!!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Trish!! You made our day a little brighter. 🙂