How to Make Delicious EGGPLANT PASTA from Calabria

By Vincenzo's Plate · 45 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Peel the eggplants and cut them into strips about 1 cm (half an inch) thick, then halve them lengthwise and put them in a colander.
2. Salt the eggplant generously and mix with your hands. Place a large plate on top, weigh it down with something heavy like a filled kettle, and set a large bowl underneath the colander. Leave to drain.
3. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Warm a generous drizzle of olive oil over medium heat with half the garlic and all the onion. Cook until the onion starts to turn golden, then add black pepper.
4. Blend the peeled tomatoes and add them to the passata. Pour into the pan with the onion and garlic, add a teaspoon of salt, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, lift off the weight and plate and remove the bowl. Squeeze the eggplant a handful at a time to remove excess water, placing it in a dry bowl.
6. In a medium saucepan over low heat, add a generous amount of olive oil and the remaining garlic, and let it sizzle. Add the eggplant, mix gently and simmer about 5 minutes, until soft; test with a fork.
7. Once tender, add the eggplant to the sauce and mix so it is fully coated. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring gently now and then.
8. Boil water and cook the spaghetti according to the packet time. Add a few basil leaves to the sauce. Mix the pecorino and breadcrumbs, sprinkle over the sauce, cover and leave while you drain the pasta.
9. Put 2 generous portions of sauce into the pasta pot, layer half the pasta on top, add more sauce, then the rest of the pasta, and cover again. Add a few more basil leaves, toss well and serve with extra sauce on each portion.

Summarized from Vincenzo's Plate's video. Watch it for the details.

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