Eggplant Puttanesca

(Cold next-day pasta! Still yummy!)

(Cold next-day pasta! Still yummy!)

Inspired by the Spaghetti with No-Cook Puttanesca from Bon Appetit’s Healthyish site (original recipe without my changes is below). Having 2 neighbor friends over for dinner and wanted to do something Italian. I liked the idea of the original recipe, but I wanted some eggplant for more bulk and flavor. Also decided to skip the no-cook and puree the tomatoes for a little bit before adding the cherry tomatoes off heat.

Started by sautéing a little onion for a few minutes, then added the eggplant and cooked until mostly cooked through. Then added the sauce and simmered until eggplant was done. Then off heat add everything else. Served with twirly pasta instead of spaghetti. One of the pastas I brough back from Italy and it was soooo good!

Would most definitely make again! It was even great cold the next day! :)

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Spaghetti with No-Cook Puttanesca
From Bon Appetit

Ingredients

  • 2 beefsteak tomatoes (about 1 lb.), halved crosswise, seeds removed

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated

  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

  • 2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more

  • 1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved

  • 1 cup Castelvetrano olives, crushed, pits removed

  • 2 Tbsp. drained capers

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 12 oz. spaghetti

  • ¼ cup finely chopped parsley

  • 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions

Pulse beefsteak tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes, and 2 tsp. salt in a food processor until smooth; transfer sauce to a large bowl and mix in cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, and ¼ cup oil.

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid.

Add pasta, parsley, and butter to sauce. Toss vigorously with tongs, adding a splash of pasta cooking liquid or more as needed to create an emulsified sauce that coats pasta. Divide among bowls and drizzle with more oil.