Penne Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, Eggplant & Goat Cheese
This pasta recipe combines the great flavors of roasted eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese. I first posted this recipe on the blog over fifteen years ago so I wanted to tweak the recipe a bit and take some better photos. This is one of those recipes I pull out from time to time when I am short on time but want to put a delicious, satisfying meal on the table.
Quick to put together, yet delicious, this recipe will soon become a family favorite in your house as it is in mine. I make my own tomato pesto, but if you had some store bought pesto on hand, you could pull this recipe together even quicker though I do prefer the flavor of homemade pesto over store bought.
I used penne pasta in my recipe, but any short, dried pasta would work well in this pasta. I roast the eggplant first before assembling this dish, but if you wanted to make dinner prep even faster, you could make the sun-dried tomato pesto and roast the eggplant earlier in the day.
We love this recipe as it is, but if you wanted to make it heartier, you could add either browned sausage pieces, or sliced grilled chicken breasts. Serve this pasta piping hot so that your guests can mix the soft goat cheese into the pasta before dining.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah MeleÂ
Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto & Goat Cheese
This is one of those quick and easy pasta dishes that can be on the table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Eggplant, Cut Into 1" Cubes
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil, Divided
- 1 Cup Oil Packed Sun Dried Tomatoes
- 2 Peeled Garlic Cloves
- 3 Tablespoons Parsley, Chopped
- Salt & Pepper
- Pinch of Red Chili Flakes
- 1 Pound Penne Pasta
- 3 oz Goat Cheese, Crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place eggplant cubes in colander lightly sprinkled with salt, and allow to stand 30 minutes.
- Pour half the olive oil in baking dish, add eggplant & toss well to combine.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Place in roasting pan & roast till browned, about 20 minutes.
- While the eggplant is roasting, put sun dried tomatoes, garlic, parsley, remainder of oil in a food processor, and pulse.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the parsley and pulse briefly to chop.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
- Cook penne pasta al dente, reserving a small cup of pasta water, then drain and return to the pot.
- Add the eggplant, sun-dried tomato pesto & toss well.
- Add a few teaspoons of pasta water to the pasta, and cook over high heat a couple of minutes until the pasta is well coated with the pesto, and piping hot.
- Serve in individual pasta bowls.
- Sprinkle with goat cheese, and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 466Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 249mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 7gSugar: 5gProtein: 13g
