At this time of year on Katchkie Farm, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes are still in season and ready to eat. They’re easy to prepare and enjoy in a warm dish as the weather gets cooler. This simple pasta dish comes from one of our Sylvia Center interns from The Sage Colleges Dietetic Internship Program. The recipe is vegetarian; however, feel free to add a protein source like grilled or roasted chicken if you wish. To keep it vegetarian but boost its protein content, try adding white navy beans, which lend themselves well to the creaminess of the dish.
Creamy Pasta with Tomato, Zucchini, and Roasted Eggplant
Makes 6 one-cup servings
Ingredients
1tbsp olive oil to sauté, plus more to toss with eggplant
2 decent-sized dollops of ricotta cheese, or cheese of choice such as grated Parmesan
1 small or medium-sized eggplant
1 medium zucchini
9 cocktail tomatoes, or any other tomato such as cherry, grape or even beefsteak
About 2 dry cups of pasta, such as mezzi rigatoni used here
Salt
Ground black pepper
Granulated garlic and onion powders (or fresh)
Fresh basil for garnish (optional at the end)
Instructions
1. Prepare vegetables: Quarter cocktail tomatoes (or halve cherry or grape tomatoes) and slice zucchini into half-inch rounds, then quarter those slices. Set aside on cutting board.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F and begin boiling water for pasta.
3. Wash, dry and begin slicing eggplant into thin rounds. Quarter these or cut into 6 pieces per round for smaller bites of eggplant. Toss eggplant in bowl of generous amount of oil so that it soaks through. Sprinkle in some salt, ground black pepper, granulated garlic and granulated onion powders. Mix well.
4. Pour eggplant onto baking sheet, spread out so eggplant pieces are not overlapping, and place into oven. Set timer to check after 20 minutes, pull out and stir.
5. Saute zucchini in 1 Tbsp. olive oil and stir until starting to brown.
6. Add pasta to boiling water. Stir and watch until it is done to your liking.
7. Add tomatoes to the zucchini to soften them up, stirring. Add a sprinkle of salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper. When sautéed to your desired tenderness, put in large bowl.
8. Drain pasta when done and pour into the large bowl with the zucchini and tomatoes. Pull eggplant out of oven, stir, and add to large bowl with other ingredients. Combine gently to retain shape of cooked vegetables.
9. Add 2 large dollops of ricotta cheese (more or less to your liking) and stir well. Dish will become creamy.
10. Season to taste. Fresh basil can be used atop your dish as a garnish if you like.
