Eggplant and Tomato Skillet Pasta

     A sure way to my husbands heart is a plate of pasta and a glass of red wine! Tom, a co-worker of Randy's, gave him a box of Bucatini pasta after we had all shared an evening together. Tom had ordered a case of it from Amazon. He is originally from New York and wanted to treat us to his special Bucatini dish. This happened a few months ago when we gathered at another friends house and Tom cooked the dish he had been waiting for us all to try. He is the kind of cook that puts his heart and soul into everything he makes. 

     Tonight was one of those nights, not unlike I do many nights, when I went into the kitchen, saw the box of Bucatini and immediately knew I wanted to whip up a quick sauce to go with it. Thirty minutes later dinner was ready! Quick, easy and very taste!

Eggplant & Tomato Skillet Pasta

Serves 4
printable recipe

Toss with cooked Bucatini pasta or spoon over brown rice gluten free pasta. You need a sturdy gluten free pasta for this sauce such as the brown rice. Half a box of cooked Bucatini is enough for 4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 c. onion, diced

2 stalks celery, thin sliced

2-3 cloves garlic

1- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, no salt

3 T. tomato paste*

1 ½ c. water

1 T. dried Italian seasoning

¼ t. salt

¼ t. black pepper

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

2 c. eggplant, diced (I used 4 small local Filipino eggplants)

1 c. frozen peas 

Extra virgin olive oil

1 handful fresh basil

*I always keep tablespoons of tomato paste in the freezer for dishes like this. Just put them into the skillet frozen. 

Directions:

1. Use 1-2 T. cooking oil to sauté the onion and celery for about 3 minutes. When the onion and celery start to get tender add the garlic. Cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant. Stir to prevent the garlic from burning.

2. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water and Italian seasoning. Stir until the tomato paste is combined. Add the eggplant and peas. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer another 5 minutes. If needed, add a little more water.

3. At the end of cooking, stir in the fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil. Add some cooked pasta to the pan and toss together. Serve immediately.