This is an easy recipe that can be made very quickly. When I have little time to spare I skip putting the salt on the eggplant and letting it stand for 20 minutes. The pine nuts and eggplant make this dish very Mediterranean. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 eggplant cut into ½ inch-thick slices
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4-cup pine nuts toasted
1 (8) ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
1-pound fusilli or farfalle pasta
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Place eggplant slices on large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Let stand 20 minutes. Turn eggplant slices over. Rinse eggplant. Drain; pat dry with paper towels. Cut eggplant into ½ inch cubes, set aside.
Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion sauté until golden, Add garlic sauté one minute, and add eggplant sauté until tender about ten minutes. Add tomatoes with juices; bring to simmer. Season with salt and fresh pepper.
Meanwhile cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Return pasta to pot and add eggplant mixture ¼ cup cheese and basil.
