Pasta alla Norma with Tomato & Eggplant

You don’t need to simmer sauces for hours when beautiful summer produce is in peak season. Just toss together pasta with silky eggplant, garlicky tomatoes, and sweet basil.

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes 

Makes 3 servings

What You Get

Pasta

Red onion

Garlic

Eggplant

Tomatoes

Basil

Smoked mozzarella

What You’ll Need

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Olive oil

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add half of the pasta and cook until al dente, 11 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and set aside.  

Step 2

Meanwhile, roughly chop the red onion. Smash 3 cloves of garlic. Chop the eggplant into bite-sized pieces. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Pick a handful of basil leaves, toss the stems, and chop the leaves. Tear half of the smoked mozzarella into bite-size pieces, reserving the rest for another use.

Step 3

In a deep sauté pan over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Add an additional 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan. Add the eggplant and season generously with salt. Stir to coat the eggplant with the oil, and cook, only stirring once or twice, until the eggplant is golden brown and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add a drizzle more oil to the pan as necessary to avoid scorching. Add the tomatoes and stir to coat. Season with salt to taste. Turn down the heat down to low.

Step 5

Add the pasta to the pan, along with the torn smoked mozzarella, and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the chopped basil, grind with pepper, and serve warm.