Roasted Tomato & Eggplant Pasta

When the weather starts getting chilly, pasta is the first dish I reach for! I am always trying to make pasta dishes a bit lighter and this one was a winner! I love the meaty texture of  roasted eggplant and it pairs perfectly with the super sweet roasted tomatoes. I also love when alot of the cooking time is done in the oven and I don't even have to do anything! 

This is recipe I saw from Rachael Ray. She always comes up with awesome pasta dishes so I knew this one would be delicious.  Any pasta would work with this dish. I used whole wheat spaghetti,but I think penne or rigatoni would be equally delicious. On a side note, do you ever wish they offered other types of pastas in whole wheat? What I would do for whole wheat orichiette or angle hair. I could just be acting picky, but I long for every type of pasta in whole wheat. A girl can dream. 

• Roasted Tomato & Eggplant Pasta

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• Ingredients:
• 2 eggplants (about 2 pounds)

• 1 pound linguine pasta

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1 14 1/2 ounce can  chopped tomatoes

• Salt and pepper

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
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• Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . Pierce the eggplants all over, place on a baking sheet and cook until very soft, about 1 hour. Let cool slightly, then cut each eggplant in half and scoop the flesh into a bowl; discard the skin.
2. Meanwhile, in a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the linguine until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice and cook until the liquid has reduced, about 10 minutes. Stir in the eggplant; heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the pasta and basil; toss to coat. Add the reserved pasta cooking water as needed.