Dinner Tonight: Pasta with Eggplant and Zucchini Recipe
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Someday I'll run out of pasta combinations. I mean, I've already done an eggplant and pasta recipe. Blake's made a pasta with zucchini. But neither of us has managed to combine the two into a pasta sauce that tastes nothing like either one. It's kind of remarkable.
This recipe comes from the New York Times, and pairs sautéed zucchini and eggplant with an herb-filled tomato sauce. Both of the vegetables were leftover from a recent batch of miso soup and I think they work much better here.
I tried to figure out why that was, before I realized this is basically just a ratatouille-style sauce. Of course, this will probably taste even better in the fall when all of these vegetables are actually in season. But tomatoes out of a can, especially ones from Italy, tend to do a good job while we wait.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 can (28-ounce) crushed tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound eggplant, ends removed and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 pound zucchini, ends removed, sliced into 1-inch slices
- 3/4 pound pasta
- Salt and black pepper
- Freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
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1.
Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a saucepan over medium heat. Toss in the garlic, and cook for a minute or so, until fragrant. Dump in the tomatoes and sprinkle in the parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally for 15 minutes.
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2.
Pour the rest of the oil into a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and zucchini, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until both are slightly browned and very tender, about 15 minutes.
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3.
Add the eggplant and zucchini to the tomato sauce and cook for another 15 minutes.
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4.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to the instrucitons on the box. Plate the pasta, and then top with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle a little grated cheese on top.