Roasted Eggplant & Blistered Cherry Tomato Pasta with Chicken Sausage
Eggplant. We've shared a love-hate relationship for several years now. I'm still not completely on board the eggplant train, but I've learned that I like it when it has a nicely roasted, almost crispy texture and in a small dice. And that when it's in big, thick chunks that are mushy and soft, I find it highly grotesque. Texture is big for me, so I guess this all makes sense. The smoky, earthy flavor of eggplant is great, so getting the texture to my liking is really what it's all about.
In an attempt to take advantage of the seasonal produce, and because it's so shiny and bulbously beautiful, I picked up a pretty, purple eggplant from the farmers market in NE, determined to do something delicious with it. It could also be because I'm stubborn to the core and can't stand the thought of people enjoying such a fruit (yes, it's a fruit!) and not enjoy it myself. You sultry little temptress, eggplant.
This simple pasta dish hits an array of flavors in subtle, yet mouth-watering, ways. A healthy weeknight meal that's delicious enough for guests, too. See my last pasta post for some cherry tomato quick tips and using butter to finish a sauce.
Roasted Eggplant & Blistered Cherry Tomato Pasta with Chicken Sausage
Serves: 2-3
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 small-medium eggplant, diced (about 1/2-inch pieces)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and dried
olive oil & olive oil spray
2 tbsp. butter, divided
honey
2 or 3 chicken sausages (I used Target's Simply Balanced Roasted Red Pepper & Asiago)
1/2 lb. short pasta (I used whole wheat cavatappi)
2 tbsp. tomato paste, double-concentrated (I get mine in a tube for multiple uses for $1.99 at Whole Foods—365 Everyday Value brand)
pasta water, reserved
red pepper flakes (optional)
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While oven is heating, dice eggplant and place in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Spray the eggplant with olive oil spray, stirring to coat all pieces.
2. Rinse and dry cherry tomatoes then pour into a baking dish, making sure it has enough space for each tomato. Cut one tablespoon of butter into sixteen little pieces and scatter in with tomatoes. Drizzle with some olive oil, as well as honey, to taste. You will want a nice sweet tomato oil to develop while baking, so don't go too easy on the oil, it's for more than just non-stick purposes.
3. Place cookie sheet with eggplant on a rack in the oven and baking dish with tomatoes on the rack above it. Let roast for about 30 minutes, flipping the eggplant about halfway through and stirring tomatoes gently to avoid sticking, making sure they don't explode either.
4. While eggplant and tomatoes are roasting, slice chicken sausages into 1/4-inch medallions and start a pot of salted water on high heat to bring to a boil. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and then dry-fry the sausage until browned.
6. Once eggplant looks nice and roasted and tomatoes are sufficiently blistered, remove from oven. Place tomatoes with ALL their oily goodness (no, but seriously, get the spatula out to really get every last delicious bit) into the saute pan, along with the eggplant on medium-low heat.
7. Add pasta to boiling water and let boil for about 7-9 minutes, or until al dente. Occasionally skim starchy foam off top of pasta water, along with about a tablespoon of pasta water while it's cooking and stir into the eggplant and tomato mixture, developing the sauce. Add in browned chicken sausage to eggplant and tomatoes and stir.
8. Once pasta is done cooking, remove with pasta scoop and add to tomato, eggplant and chicken sausage, reserving cooking water. In a glass measuring cup, add 1 cup cooking water, 2 tbsp. tomato paste and 1 tbsp. honey. Whisk together until thoroughly combined and then pour into saute pan, stirring to coat everything. Let simmer to reduce slightly (about 3-5 minutes). Turn off heat, season with salt and pepper to taste and then add in 1 tbsp. of butter. Stir well to ensure the sauce is thoroughly distributed. Top with red pepper flakes if you like the heat.
