I scaled up a bit with the pasta on this one and went local with an excellent Crest Di Gallo from Deano's pasta in Somerville, MA. If you're anywhere near this place, I highly recommend giving their fresh and dry pasta a try. But whether you use Deano's Crest Di Gallo or a store-bought version (or penne or ziti) - you will still make a delicious roasted eggplant pasta with San Marzano tomatoes.
what are san marzano tomatoes?
I learned a few things while working on this recipe. First, unless you've been living under a rock, you're at least aware of the name San Marzano tomatoes. I'd been wanting to see what all the fuss is about for a long time.
San Marzano tomatoes are a variety of plum tomato that originated in the Campania region in Italy - in and around Naples. They are longer and thicker than an average plum tomato with fewer seeds, sweeter flavor and less acidity. The consensus is they are perfect for canning and sauce making.
So I purchased a can of San Marzano tomatoes, except I really didn't, or I might have but I wasn't sure. It turns out, in order to be considered real San Marzano tomatoes, they need to have a special seal on the can. The seal says D.O.P. (Denominazione d'Origine Protetta). This verifies the tomatoes are grown in a specific region of Italy near Mount Vesuvius. That makes them authentic San Marzano tomatoes.
Watch the fully narrated video here:
It's okay to use D.O.P OR certified tomatoes: I found no difference
I purchased Cento San Marzano tomatoes that said they were "certified." When I started working on this I didn't know anything about the D.O.P. But here's what. The certified tomatoes are awesome and if that's what you end up buying - you're absolutely fine! Hopefully the San Marzano aficionados out there aren't going to freak out when I say you cannot tell the difference.
eggplant, pasta, garlic, tomatoes, Cheese
Look, this recipe is pretty easy and I know we food bloggers have a reputation for saying things like this which is often met with giant eye rolls. But this is real. There are not a lot of steps and it's a short ingredient list. As mentioned in the recipe, if you can splurge for the Parmesan Reggiano cheese please do so. If not, your grocery store's generic shaker parmesan cheese works too! 🙂
- Chop garlic.
- Slice and roast eggplant.
- Strain and chop canned tomatoes.
- Grate cheese (or used jarred!).
- Cook garlic and tomatoes for 5-7 minutes.
- Boil water and cook pasta (a fun pasta like Crest di Gallo!)
- Chop fresh basil (optional, but better with it!)
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If you are on the hunt for more eggplant recipes, I've got you covered. There is this very tasty chicken and eggplant stir fry, stuffed eggplant with lamb and saffron rice, and a yummy French bread pizza with romesco sauce and roasted eggplant.
Buy local if you can: Deano's Pasta in Somerville, MA
I'm a food blogger so I love trying new things when it comes to food. I also like buying local if I can. I'd heard about Deano's Pasta in Somerville, MA and finally made a trip there to check it out. This is where I purchased the pasta for this recipe: Crest di Gallo. I'd never seen this kind of pasta before and knew that I wanted to use it for something. Apparently it gets its name because the shape is similar to the crest of a rooster. To me they look more like little miniature rainbows surrounded by fluffy clouds. 🙂
Choose the pasta you want for this recipe, but I Ioved trying the Crest di Gallo and Deano's Pasta was awesome! If you get a chance and you are in the area, go check out Deano's Pasta. I also tried their homemade marinara sauce which was seriously one of the best marinara sauces I've had in my life!
If you can, shop local and support small businesses. Try new things. It might cost a little more, but it is so worth it.
easy steps to making roasted eggplant pasta with San Marzano tomatoes
Roasted Eggplant Pasta with San Marzano Tomatoes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 portions 1x
Description
Get ready for your next comfort food night with this roasted eggplant pasta with San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, cheese and basil.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons garlic, finely diced (about 5-6 larger cloves)
- 1 pound Asian eggplant, the long thin kind (3), thinly sliced (see note 1)
- 1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to cook garlic)
- 1 pound Crest Di Gallo pasta (or penne, ziti) see note 2
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ to ½ cup of pasta water (DO NOT THROW AWAY)
- 2 cups grated parmesan reggiano or regular jarred parmesan, plus extra to serve on side (see note 3)
- Extra virgin olive oil, for various things
- Salt, for various things (measurements in instructions)
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Instructions
- Plan your time with the pasta water. Fill a large pot with water and plan to have the water at a rolling boil by the time you start cooking the garlic. Before adding the pasta to the water add two teaspoons of salt to the water. Don’t skip this.
- Finely dice the garlic. I usually slice the garlic into thin rounds right, then dice it down into smaller bits from there.
- Cut the ends from the eggplants. I used a mandolin to slice the eggplant into thin rounds. If you don’t have a mandolin just use a knife and cut them to about ¼ inch in thickness or slightly thinner if you can. If you prefer cutting the eggplant in chunks you can do that.
- Transfer the eggplant slices to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the eggplant and toss it very quickly. Eggplant loves olive oil and absorbs it very quickly. Drizzle another tablespoon over the eggplant and quickly toss again.
- Spread the eggplant slices across a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and add a couple of pinches of salt (approximately ½ teaspoon). Roast in a preheated oven at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until eggplant is soft and browned.
- Open the can of San Marzano tomatoes and place a strainer over a large bowl. Spoon all the tomatoes out of the can into the strainer and shake the strainer back and forth to release the juice/sauce. Then cut the whole tomatoes into bite-sized chunks and put in a bowl. (Note: you can reserve the tomato sauce and juices for something else-I froze mine and used it later to make a little marinara sauce to dip my mozzarellas sticks in).
- Grate the fresh parmesan reggiano cheese. If you’re not using the reggiano, you can use the jarred stuff. It will be great either way, but definitely more elevated if you use the reggiano.
- This is about the time your water should be boiling and you add 2 teaspoons of salt, then add the pasta. The water needs the salt – don’t skip this part. Cook the pasta per package instructions.
- Heat three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and add the chopped garlic. Let it cook a minute or two until fragrant, then add the chopped San Marzano tomatoes. Cook and stir on low-to-medium heat for about 5 minutes or so.
- Chop the fresh basil. I usually stack about 10 basil leaves on top of one another. Then roll the leaves up like a cigar and slice them into ribbons. Repeat the process until you have one cup of basil.
- Once the pasta is cooked, strain it, but SAVE ABOUT ½ CUP OF PASTA WATER. Don’t forget this step.
- Transfer the cooked pasta into a large mixing bowl, then add the garlic and tomatoes (scrape the pan well), the roasted eggplant, start with one cup of fresh grated cheese (or jarred if you’re using that), and ¼ cup of pasta water). Mix everything together until well combined, then add in about ½ to ¾ cup of the fresh basil (leave some for garnish), and another cup of cheese (more or less – it’s up to you). If you want it a little creamier add a bit more pasta water and you’re done.
- This is great with some garlic bread and to serve with extra grated cheese and fresh basil on the side. Serve immediately
Notes
- Asian eggplant is the long, thin kind of eggplant. It can be found in most grocery stores. But if you can’t find it just go with a regular eggplant and cut it into bite-sized chunks. I thinly sliced it because I felt like it, but you don’t have to.
- I went to a local pasta shop for this one. It’s a place called Deano’s in Somerville, MA. I’d heard about it, but never seemed to have the time to go there. I finally made the time! So here’s my suggestion: if you live anywhere in the Boston area (or suburbs) take a trip there and check it out. I LOVE the Crest di Gallo pasta for this recipe. Using high quality pasta is a game changer for sure. I also bought their marinara sauce for something else I made and it was the BEST marinara sauce I’ve ever had – insane! J If you don’t live in the Boston area, surely there is a local pasta shop near you or a higher end pasta option at your local grocery store. Look, store-bought penne or ziti will work beautifully, but sometimes elevating a dish is a lot of fun.
- Parmesan reggiano is expensive. If you want to splurge to elevate the dish, buy this cheese. Less expensive is your store brand’s parmesan cheese which you can freshly grate as well. However, the regular jarred grated cheese from the grocery works too. I do usually add some of this cheese as well because I like how it sticks to the pasta better than the others.
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