Italian Tomato and Eggplant Skillet Pasta packs in fresh tomatoes, eggplant and even green beans to make a veggie-packed dinner.
Fresh tomatoes, eggplant and even green beans make this veggie-packed pasta delicious, in under an hour I might add. I blended half of the vegetables to make a quick sauce. The best part, this Italian style pasta dinner comes together in one skillet!
Italian style homemade pasta is easier than you think. Fresh vegetables, a simple sauce and pasta are all it takes. Try my other pasta dishes for more easy dinners.
I often have cherry tomatoes around the kitchen. They are easy to throw into salads and veggies dishes. This vegetable pasta recipe is no exception.
I paired those juicy little tomatoes with eggplant, shallots and garlic to make the base of my sauce. Sauté them in a nonstick, high-sided skillet before transferring half to a blender. I like the high-sided skillet because I'll end up tossing in my pasta later and it holds all the deliciousness. But a regular skillet also works.
Why cook in nonstick cookware?
The fastest way to put this meal together is to use my Circulon Elementum Cookware. It's their latest hard-anodized, PFOA-free nonstick cookware collection. I am super picky about my non-stick cookware and always look for PFOA-free. The Circulon pans (available at Macy's) are also metal utensil safe. A huge deal for me because I don't have to reach for my wood or plastic spatulas, I can use any tool that's handy.
Cooking with nonstick means nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and all the caramelized bits stay right on each piece of food. My eggplant gets golden brown in my skillet and that flavor stays right on the veggie bites.
I can also use less oil when cooking with nonstick for the same reason. The raised circles on Circulon in particular allow food to release from the bottom of the pan much easier than a flat, smooth surface.
You don't have to make a separate sauce for my Italian tomato and eggplant skillet pasta. Just blend some of the cooked veggies!
This homemade recipe for Italian skillet pasta takes just two pans to make. And that is only because you need one to cook the pasta! Super easy cleanup.
What pairs well with eggplant?
I say just about any veggie! Well, let's be honest, tomatoes are a shoe in. The soft nuttiness of eggplant with acidic tomatoes is just perfect. I added green beans to this pasta for some tender crunch since eggplant and tomatoes are soft.
Basil and oregano round this pasta out with a creamy ricotta as well. I added the chopped basil right to the ricotta so it makes every bite creamy and flavorful.
Try this Italian tomato and eggplant skillet pasta with other vegetables like zucchini, summer squash and even peas.
What makes this Italian pasta so delicious? A quick tomato and eggplant sauce. Cooking the shallots, garlic, tomatoes and eggplant until just soft, then blending with a bit of olive oil and lemon juice makes a veggie marinara!
The lemon juice brightens all the flavors and it's just enough sauce to coat the pasta. I use my Vitamix to get it extra smooth, but you can use a food processor or your regular blender.
Italian Tomato and Eggplant Skillet Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz whole milk ricotta
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil plus more for garnis
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ lb uncooked pasta
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots peeled and sliced root to tip
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 cups diced eggplant from 1 large eggplant
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 ½ cups fresh, cut green beans
- Fresh oregano for serving
Instructions
- Mix together ricotta, chopped basil and black pepper. Set aside.
- Cook pasta in a stockpot and salted water until just al dente. Drain; set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced shallots and garlic and cook until just soft, about 2 minutes. Add eggplant, half the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is browning and getting soft, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Transfer half the veggie mixture to a blender with remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt, and blend until smooth. Transfer back to the skillet.
- Turn heat to medium, add green beans and remaining fresh tomatoes, and cook until just heated through, about 1 minute. Serve immediately topped with ricotta and garnished with extra basil and oregano.
Notes
Nutrition
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Sponsor: Circulon®
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About Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in the food publishing business for over 20 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television & advertising. Order my new cookbook & stick around for amazing things to eat.
Recipe by Tara Teaspoon. Food Styling and Propping Tara Teaspoon. Photography Ty Mecham.
Mary Bench says
I'm usually not crazy about eggplant but now I'm eating my words...or eggplant! This truly is a fantastic one-pot dinner and is so easy. I like the fact that I can use a variety of veggies!
Tara says
Yay! A convert! It's not overpowering and so healthy!
Kiki Johnson says
I love me some eggplants and in this recipes I'm sure even my hubby would eat them without complaints! he's obsessed with Italian food! This dish looks perfect for end of summer and I cannot wait to try it once my garden tomatoes are ripe!
Martyn says
I don't really eat pasta much but I think i'll have to give this recipe a go. I really like the look of it and the instructions are nice and detailed. Thank you!
Brittany Smart says
Okay this looks AMAZING. Wow. Substitute some gluten free noodles and I think this just became my dinner for tonight!
Kelly Anthony says
We have homegrown eggplant in the fridge that is just begging to go in this pasta dish! Can't wait to try 🙂 Looks spectacular!!!
aditi bahl says
I really like eggplant and look forward to trying new recipes to have more of it on my menu. Your recipe sounds so perfect and looks delicious.Thanks for sharing . I will try this soon.
Jenni LeBaron says
This dish is so gorgeous! I wouldn't miss any leat given that there are such gorgeous tomatoes and eggplant in this pasta dish.
Sri Mallya says
This looks fantastic. I am totally in love with combo you have used. Just can't wait to try this out!
Pearl Rodrigues says
Eggplant, ricotta, tomatoes... so many good things in one dish has to make this pasta super delicious
It's definitely a dish my family would enjoy !!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
I have never made anything with eggplant before, but this looks SO GOOD!! I have got to buy some sometime!
Sharon says
This is a lovely side dish for summer. I love the ricotta topping and fresh basil.
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says
This sounds delicious and I'm absolutely in love with your photos! That blue background is the perfect backdrop for those bright tomatoes. Love it!
Jessica Pinney says
Wow, what a BEAUTIFUL dish! Looks like the perfect Summer dinner to me!
Tessa says
I love me some vegetable pasta dishes! I've never thought to throw in ricotta!