Whole Wheat Penne with Eggplant and Tomato

By á-25010

If you and your family love pasta, plan to make this satisfying entrée ahead of time. Featuring hearty roasted eggplant and creamy part-skim ricotta cheese, it's flavored with fresh garlic and balsamic vinegar. Prepare this dish 2 days before you plan to eat it and store it, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Reheat, tightly covered and stirring occasionally, on medium in the microwave or in a saucepan on top of the stove. Served with a big green salad, this is pure comfort food after a busy day of shopping.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon oil, olive, extra-virgin plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 pounds eggplant cut into 1" cubes
• salt to taste
• pepper, black ground to taste
• 8 ounce(s) pasta, penne, 100% whole-wheat
• 1 small onion(s) thinly sliced
• 3 clove(s) garlic minced
• 1 can(s) tomatoes, diced 14.5 ounces, with juice
• 2 teaspoon vinegar, balsamic
• 1 cup(s) cheese, ricotta, part-skim

Details

Cooking time 45mins

Preparation

Step 1

1
Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly coat a baking pan with oil. Place eggplant in the pan, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil, season with salt and pepper, toss to coat, and spread in an even layer. Bake, stirring once, until eggplant is lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

2
While eggplant is roasting, cook pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water according to the package directions.

3
Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add tomatoes and their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in vinegar.

4
Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add tomato mixture, eggplant, and cheese and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Each serving is 2 cups.