Eggplant and Zucchini Pasta

You should know by now that I love me some zucchini. It’s serious. Zucchini is like my food version of Ian…love love love it.

Awwww…

Okay, I’ll stop being sappy (and kinda weird?) now.

Ian’s parents have this garden in their backyard that seems to have been kissed by the  garden gods. I’m talking 30 mini cantaloupes a week. Five or six watermelons a week.  Pints and pints of cherry tomatoes. And all summer, it’s churned out zucchini like nobody’s business. We’ll go over to their place to say hi and have dinner (and okay, do some laundry), and when we leave, we get a nice parting gift of zucchini.

So I’ve been in zucchini heaven this summer- zucchini lemon cookies, zucchini fritters, grilled zucchini, baked zucchini…you get the picture. They’ve mostly been side dishes though, and I was ready for a Zucchini Main Event.

(You should totally read that last part in your head like a wrestling announcer.)

Another thing you should know is I also love me some eggplant. I LOVE its color, and I think it’s awesome how the inside looks nothing like you’d expect it to once it’s peeled. And who knew an eggplant had so many seeds??

Sidebar: I think the color of an eggplant would be the coolest hair color ever. If I ever decided to dye my hair all crazy colored, I would definitely do it eggplant purple. Don’t judge.

So I found this recipe with zucchini and eggplant- score. It’s a lot of veggies, I know, but I hope that doesn’t scare you off because it’s reallllly good. I blended the cooked veggies and sauce in the food processor until it was mostly smooth, but I’m sure you can leave it chunky and it would taste just as good.

And I know this is completely random and has nothing to do with this post at all, but my cousin Crystal got engaged this weekend to her boyfriend Jonathan, a great guy who also happens to love Britney Spears as much as I do…CONGRATS!! I love you guys and am so happy for you!! :)

Eggplant and Zucchini Pasta

makes 8 cups, 148 calories per cup

Adapted from Cheap Healthy Good


1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can (28-ounce) crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tsp brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 medium eggplant, peeled, ends removed and chopped into 1-inch cubes
2 medium zucchinis, ends removed, sliced into 1-inch slices
3 cups uncooked whole wheat pasta (I used fusilli)
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese


1. In a medium pot, heat 1/2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add garlic. Cook about a minute, until you can smell it. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, oregano, red pepper flakes, and a little salt and pepper. Boil. Once it's boiling, drop heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
(This got really messy for me...I only simmered mine for about 10 minutes because it got so splattery!) 


2. While that's happening, in a separate large, nonstick skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, zucchini, and a little salt and pepper. Cook until the veggies are browned and softening up, about 15 minutes. 


3. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box, drain and set aside.


4. Once your veggies are cooked, combine with the tomato sauce. Pour mixture into a food processor, and pulse until you get your desired sauce consistency...I left a little chunk to mine, maybe 15 seconds on pulse.

5. Combine sauce with pasta. You may want to heat through before serving. Top with Parmesan, and serve!

Enjoy!
Amanda