Roasted Eggplant Pasta with Feta and Basil
Eggplant tastes so good roasted! Roasted eggplant is fragrant, tender on the inside, and nicely caramelized on the outside. Simply toss this roasted goodie with pasta, basil, feta cheese, and olive oil, and you get a delicious and nutritious meal to satisfy your palate and nourish your body at the same time!
Also, this dish is kidney and renal-diet friendly that people who have been advised to follow low sodium, low potassium, and low phosphorus diet would be able to enjoy this delicious pasta dish with peace of mind!
<INGREDIENTS> 4 servings
For the roasted eggplant:
1 large eggplant, cut into cubes (first slice the eggplant into 1 to 1.5-inch thick slices, then cut each slice into even pieces of cube or rectangle)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3 cloves garlic, chopped
For the pasta:
2 cups uncooked farfalle/bow-tie pasta or your choice of pasta
5-6 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups basil leaves
2 ounces feta cheese (remember to check nutrition fact labels for sodium content so you’re getting lower sodium-containing feta cheese)
1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
<DIRECTIONS>
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F or 220 degrees C. Line 1 large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, toss the eggplant cubes with olive oil, black pepper, oregano, and sea salt.
- Transfer the seasoned eggplant cubes onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Roast the eggplant in oven at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and set timer to roast for 15 minutes, then take out the baking sheet from oven and sprinkle the chopped garlic on top, place the baking sheet with eggplant and garlic back into oven and roast for another 10 minutes. Cubed eggplant should be caramelized on the edges and tender on the inside, and garlic should be golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
- While the eggplant is roasting, cook the pasta. Add 6 cups of water to a large cooking pot, bring water to a boil on high heat, add in pasta and cook for 10-11 minutes or until pasta is al dente texture. Or, simply follow the instructions on the pasta package to cook.
- Once pasta is cooked, turn off heat, drain water from the pot. While the pasta is still hot and a bit wet, add in olive oil, basil leaves, feta cheese, and red chili flakes to the pot, and gently toss everything together.
- Lastly, add in the roasted eggplant and garlic to the pot, and gently toss everything together again. Season with more ground black pepper if desired. That’s it! Serve while it’s still warm! Buon appetito!
Happy Eating! 🙂