Description
A smoky, savory pasta dish featuring flame-charred eggplant, juicy tomatoes, tangy goat cheese, and toasted pecans, tossed with short pasta and fresh herbs for a hearty, balanced meal.
Ingredients
1 large eggplant (~1¼ lb)
½ cup olive oil, divided
½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 Roma tomatoes (~1 lb), diced
½ lb orecchiette (or other short pasta)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
½ cup raisins (optional)
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Extra red pepper flakes, for garnish
Instructions
- **Char the eggplant.** Preheat grill to high. Grill whole eggplant for ~20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes until blackened and tender. Let cool, peel off skin, discard stem, and roughly chop.
- **Cook pasta.** Boil orecchiette in salted water per package. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
- **Toast pecans.** Heat skillet over medium. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and toasted pecans until golden (~1–2 minutes). Season with salt and transfer to plate.
- **Build sauce.** In same skillet, add 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté shallot until caramelized (~1–2 minutes). Add diced tomatoes and salt; cook ~5 minutes.
- **Add flavor.** Stir in tomato paste and red pepper flakes for 1 minute. Add chopped eggplant, vinegar, honey, and raisins (if using). Reduce heat and cook 2 minutes.
- **Combine pasta.** Add reserved pasta water, bring to simmer. Add cooked pasta, drizzle ~¼ cup olive oil, stir in chopped parsley. Taste and adjust salt.
- **Serve.** Plate pasta, top with crumbled goat cheese and toasted pecans. Garnish with parsley and red pepper flakes.
Notes
- Roast eggplant at 425°F for 40–45 minutes if grilling isn’t possible.
- Use penne, fusilli, or rigatoni as alternatives to orecchiette.
- Omit or replace goat cheese with vegan cheese for a dairy-free version.
- Skip raisins or substitute dried cranberries for sweetness.
- Add grilled chicken or chickpeas to boost protein.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling + Sautéing + Boiling
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
