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    You are here: Home / Entrees / Spicy Eggplant Pasta

    LAST UPDATED: September 11, 2021 • FIRST PUBLISHED: March 4, 2019

    Spicy Eggplant Pasta

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Spicy Eggplant Pasta

    This hearty eggplant pasta is packed with spicy flavor, fresh herbs, juicy tomatoes, and tender chunks of eggplant. A naturally vegan, vegetarian and optionally gluten-free pasta dinner that will please all appetites and is easy enough for a weeknight!

    Spicy Eggplant Pasta in a Bowl Topped with Fresh Basil & Parsley

    I'm all about pasta dinners. Pretty much always have been! But one thing that's changed over the years: my preferred veggie to pasta ratio has gone way up.

    My favorite pasta sauces are filled with veggies. Pasta by itself is great and all, these days my favorite pasta sauces aren't even really sauces — they're more like mixes of chunky veggies with some interspersed sauce.

    Close Up of Spicy Eggplant Pasta in a Bowl

    I was looking for something along those lines when I created this eggplant rigatoni. Sometimes during the winter months I can get caught in a cycle of enjoying heavy comfort food meals (hello cheeseburger soup!). I was craving some fresh flavors. While eggplant, tomatoes and fresh herbs are all in season during summer, they're pretty much available year round these days. Eggplant and pasta is a magical combination. I threw all those elements into this dish to create a delicious and easy recipe!

    Jump to:
    • Preparing & Cooking Eggplant
    • Making the Sauce
    • Leftovers & Storage
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Vegan Pasta Recipes
    • Spicy Eggplant Pasta

    Preparing & Cooking Eggplant

    Collage Showing Steps for Preparing and Cooking Eggplant: Salt the Eggplant, Add Eggplant to a Skillet with Oil, and Cook Until Browned

    I salted my eggplant for this recipe. You may or may not need to do this, depending on the freshness of your eggplant.

    If your eggplant is very fresh, don't worry about salting it. If it's been hanging around for a while or shows some browning when you cut it open, you'll probably want to salt it to remove some of the bitterness that's developed over time.

    To salt your eggplant, just dice it up according to the recipe and place it in a colander. Generously coat it with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then rinse it well (get as much of the salt out as you can) and pat it dry.

    You'll be pan-frying the eggplant in some olive oil. Eggplant soaks up oil like crazy, so don't be stingy with the oil! Coat your skillet with oil, heat it up, and then cook the eggplant for about 10 minutes, flipping it once or twice.

    Making the Sauce

    Collage Showing Steps for Making Spicy Eggplant Pasta Sauce: Sauté Onion and Garlic, Add Tomatoes and Capers, and Add Eggplant and Herbs

    To make the sauce, sauté some onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes. Next, add some diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, capers and red pepper flakes. I used a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, for a mildly spicy sauce, but adjust the amount to your liking.

    Let the sauce simmer for a bit, and then add the eggplant, fresh parsley, and fresh basil at the end.

    Toss the sauce with pasta and serve.

    Bowl of Spicy Eggplant Pasta with a Fork, Spoon and Water Glass

    Leftovers & Storage

    Leftover eggplant pasta will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

    If possible, I recommend tossing the pasta and sauce together just before serving, and storing any leftover pasta and sauce separately. Reheat leftover sauce on the stove or by microwaving it in a bowl. To reheat leftover pasta, bring a pot of water to a boil, add the pasta, and let it heat up for about 1 minute. Drain the pasta in a colander and add it to the sauce.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can this recipe be made gluten-free?

    Yes! Just use gluten-free pasta.

    Do I need to peel the eggplant?

    Nope, but you certainly can if you'd like to. It's really a matter of personal preference. I personally don't mind skin on my eggplant.

    How spicy is this eggplant pasta?

    It's about a mild/medium on the spicy scale. For a spicier version, add some extra red pepper flakes. For a milder version, leave them out.

    More Vegan Pasta Recipes

    • Pasta with Mushroom Bolognese
    • Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
    • Lemon Brussels Sprout Pasta
    • Hummus Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower
    • Garlic Butter & Herb Pasta with Chickpeas

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    Bowl of Eggplant pasta with Fork and Knife on the Side
    4.88 from 8 votes
    Print

    Spicy Eggplant Pasta

    This hearty eggplant pasta is packed with spicy flavor, fresh herbs, juicy tomatoes, and tender chunks of eggplant. A naturally vegan, vegetarian and optionally gluten-free pasta dinner that will please all appetites and is easy enough for a weeknight!

    Course Entree
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 393 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces dried rigatoni pasta (or your favorite pasta shape)
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 5 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
    • 1 cup crushed tomatoes
    • 3 tablespoons capers
    • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
    • 1 medium (1 pound) eggplant, salted if necessary, cut into ½ inch cubes
    • ½ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving, optional
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving, optional
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions.

    2. Drain the pasta into a colander, return it to the pot, and toss it with a dash of olive oil.

    3. Coat the bottom of a large pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place it over medium heat.

    4. When the oil is hot, add the onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.

    5. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, until very fragrant.

    6. Stir in the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, capers and red pepper flakes.

    7. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and allow it to cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until it thickens up a bit. You can add a splash of water if it becomes too thick.

    8. While the sauce simmers, coat the bottom of a large skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and place it over medium heat.

    9. When the oil is hot, add the eggplant. Cook the eggplant for about 10 minutes, flipping it once or twice, until the pieces are soft and browned in spots. 

    10. When the sauce is finished simmering, stir in the eggplant, parsley and basil.

    11. Remove the pot from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

    12. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to coat,

    13. Divide onto plates and serve. Sprinkle with additional parsley and basil, if desired.

    Nutrition Facts
    Spicy Eggplant Pasta
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 393 Calories from Fat 108
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12g18%
    Saturated Fat 1.7g9%
    Sodium 326mg14%
    Potassium 718mg21%
    Carbohydrates 62.6g21%
    Fiber 10.2g41%
    Sugar 12.4g14%
    Protein 11.8g24%
    Calcium 70mg7%
    Iron 4mg22%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lenora says

      March 05, 2019 at 9:16 pm

      5 stars
      Sounds like dinner for Wednesday night'.
      Love eggplant , I love spice.
      Thank you for sharing 🤩

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 10, 2019 at 9:08 pm

        Very welcome! I hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    2. Dorothy says

      April 04, 2019 at 12:22 pm

      5 stars
      I added spinach, nooch and oregano to this too, it was so satisfying. Perfect easy week night dinner :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        April 07, 2019 at 5:24 pm

        Sounds like a delicious meal! Glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    3. Mimi says

      May 20, 2019 at 12:39 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent!!! Your recipes make me look like a star in the kitchen.
      They are robust enough to produce wonderful results even when some tweaking is necessary.
      I made this spicy eggplant pasta when I had a Japanese eggplant to use and chose to oven roast the diced eggplant instead of frying. Turned out awesome. Thanks so much!

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        May 27, 2019 at 8:53 pm

        Nice! I'll have to give roasting the eggplant a try! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
      • Trish says

        September 10, 2019 at 7:42 pm

        5 stars
        Not long finished this for dinner tonight. Super tasty and easy. Definitely a keeper! Roasted eggplant rather than fried. Thanks for a really lovely meal!

        Reply
        • Alissa Saenz says

          September 12, 2019 at 9:18 am

          Glad you enjoyed it! And great to hear it works with roasting the eggplant! Thanks Trish!

          Reply
    4. Stephanie says

      August 11, 2019 at 7:52 pm

      5 stars
      This pasta was delicious! I used gluten free penne. I substituted RAO’s sensitive recipe tomato sauce, mainly because I didn’t have the tomatoes on hand. It worked fine! My husband is not a fan of eggplant, but he really liked this dish. I will definitely make it again. I might even invite a friend or two.

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        August 18, 2019 at 2:16 pm

        That's awesome! I'm so glad you both enjoyed it!

        Reply
    5. Abbie says

      July 20, 2020 at 10:58 pm

      5 stars
      I made this tonight with a few very minor modifications. Delicious! I roasted the eggplant cubes on a baking sheet along with some sliced shitake peppers, tossed with salt and EVOO. I didn't have crushed tomatoes so I used a cup of tomato sauce in addition to the diced tomatoes. I used fresh oregano with the basil instead of parsley because that's what I am growing. I added a cup of hot pasta water to the sauce once I added the roasted eggplant/peppers, and another cup along with the al dente-cooked campanelle pasta , which I mixed on low heat into the sauce in the saute pan. At the end I added a dash of aleppo pepper just because. Definitely a repeat!!!

      Reply
    6. Mati says

      September 09, 2020 at 7:04 am

      5 stars
      This was delicious! I followed the recipe to the letter and it was so flavorful and perfect heat! Thanks for the great recipe! I read the comments and enjoyed them as well, great tips (roasting eggplant).

      Reply
    7. Lcoolj says

      December 08, 2020 at 7:24 pm

      5 stars
      Restaurant quality! Always looking for other ways to eat eggplant. My vegan daughter also approved.

      Reply
    8. Ray Bowden says

      January 26, 2021 at 7:46 am

      4 stars
      Great recipe. Wonder if you could steam the eggplant and eliminate some of the oil? 8 ounces of pasta feeds four of my family perfectly. (If two don't show up!)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        January 26, 2021 at 11:39 am

        Glad you like it! I haven't tried steaming the eggplant, so I'm not sure. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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