Red Pesto Pasta with Eggplant

Name: Red Pesto Pasta with Eggplant
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8 serving
Ingredients: 3 small or 2 large eggplants (about 1 ½ pounds total); 2 tablespoons olive oil; kosher salt and black pepper; 1 pound rotini or other pasta; 1 cup pesto rosso (red pesto); ½ cup ricotta cheese; ¼ cup fresh basil, torn

User Reviews

5.0

9 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings
8
Calories
368 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

Red Pesto Pasta with Eggplant

Kaitlin Farley

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This delicious Red Pesto Pasta with Eggplant is a delicious and soul-satisfying vegetarian dish that will become a staple in your family's dinner rotation.

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Ingredients

Servings

3 small or 2 large eggplants (about 1 ½ pounds total)
2 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound rotini or other pasta
1 cup pesto rosso (red pesto)
½ cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup fresh basil, torn

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Using a vegetable peeler, peel off strips of the skin from the eggplants, leaving some skin in place.* Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes.
Place the diced eggplant on two baking sheets. Toss them with the olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1 ½ cups of the pasta water.
Return the hot, dry pot to the stove and heat over low heat. Add the cooked pasta, the pesto rosso, and about 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir to combine. Add more pasta water as needed to coat the pasta. Gently stir in the cooked eggplant.
Whip the ricotta cheese in a food processor until smooth and fluffy (optional step).
Serve the pasta in bowls and top with fresh basil and dollops of whipped ricotta.

Notes

*I like to peel strips of the eggplant skin off before cutting it up. This leaves some skin intact so that the eggplant holds its shape, but isn't too much skin that it is bothersome to chew.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Serving 0g Calories 368kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 47.3g (16%) Protein 13.7g (27%) Fat 14.4g (22%) Saturated Fat 2.2g (11%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0g Monounsaturated Fat 0g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg (0%) Sodium 0mg (0%) Potassium 0mg (0%) Fiber 8.3g (33%) Sugar 0g (0%) Vitamin A 0IU (0%) Vitamin C 0mg (0%) Calcium 0mg (0%) Iron 0mg (0%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 368 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving	0g
Calories	368kcal	18%
Carbohydrates	47.3g	16%
Protein	13.7g	27%
Fat	14.4g	22%
Saturated Fat	2.2g	11%
Polyunsaturated Fat	0g	0%
Monounsaturated Fat	0g	0%
Trans Fat	0g	0%
Cholesterol	0mg	0%
Sodium	0mg	0%
Potassium	0mg	0%
Fiber	8.3g	33%
Sugar	0g	0%
Vitamin A	0IU	0%
Vitamin C	0mg	0%
Calcium	0mg	0%
Iron	0mg	0%