Anna Chwistek
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Eggplant and sun dried tomato pasta with ricotta. Who can refuse a hot, creamy bowl of pasta, loaded with veggies and cheese?
This pasta with sautéed eggplant and sun dried tomatoes coated with a creamy sauce makes for a satisfying vegetarian dinner, and can be thrown together in about 20 minutes. A deliciously simple veggie pasta for a perfect weeknight meal.
Ricotta cheese perfectly melts into the tomato sauce and coats every single pasta bite. It’s a fantastic alternative to the tomato sauce classic. It’s minimal. It’s light, loaded with veggies and with just the right balance of flavors and textures.
It is simplicity at its finest: just pasta, a deeply flavored tomato sauce with eggplant and sun dried tomatoes, and a creaminess that cuts the tang of tomato sauce.
Let me guide you through the recipe with thisstep-by-step VIDEO.
Helpful tips
- This dish can totally stand on its own as a meal. But if you’re looking for something to round this out into a more multi-dimensional meal or impress friends with a full blown dinner party, you could add a salad, grilled chicken, bread…
- Or sauté the eggplant together with some pork mince or pancetta.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
More easy pasta dishes, please!
- Tagliatelle with meat and kale pesto
- Pasta with smoked salmon and chorizo
- 15 minute broccoli pasta with basil oil
Cooking Video
Eggplant and sun dried tomato pasta with ricotta
Anna Chwistek
Sautéed eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes in a luscious ricotta sauce with pasta. This satisfying vegetarian dinner is ready in about 20 minutes—a deliciously simple option for a perfect weeknight meal.
4.55 from 137 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 2
Calories 672 kcal
Ingredients
- 9 ounces pasta
- 1 eggplant small, cut into tiny cubes (small dice)
- 1 cup sun dried tomatoes with oil drained, oil reserved
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup puréed tomatoes
- 5 ounces ricotta
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
Heat 5 tbsp oil from the sun dried tomatoes in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot, cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add eggplant, sauté for 3 minutes. Stir in the sun dried tomatoes with their remaining oil. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the tomato puree and bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes. Season with chili flakes, paprika, salt and pepper.
Stir in the ricotta and pasta. If needed, add a big splash of the reserved cooking water. Stir so everything is well-coated, and cook until heated through and the flavors melt, for about 1 minute. Taste and adjust salt.
Serve immediately. Enjoy.
Nutrition
Serving: 0gCalories: 672kcalCarbohydrates: 115gProtein: 28gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 75mgPotassium: 966mgFiber: 12gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 862IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 209mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
And …IF YOU LOVE THESE RECIPES … please consider supporting my work for just the cost of a cup of coffee.
Sign up for my NEWSLETTERto receive the latest recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
60 comments
It’s very tasty!Thanks Violeta!
Reply
This was delicious! A keeper!Reply
Thanks so much Zoe!
Reply
So good! A new regular for us.
Reply
So happy to hear this! Thanks Michael!
Reply
Delicious❣️Love sun dried tomatoes & eggplant. Good combo. I used Penne. Only suggestion — I would have people cut the tomatoes up — a little too strong for in-Italian people like my hubby. I made my own last year growing Roma’s & putting in oil.
Reply
Love hearing this! Thank you for making!
Reply
Is that parsley or basil you’ve garnished with on top?
Can’t wait to make!
Reply
hi, it’s flat parsley. Hope you love it!
Reply
Another keeper!
Reply
Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for making it!
Reply
my hsband says i wnt like it lol but i find it pretty cool to look at yummy wowowowowowoowReply
Is that fresh pasta? 250g seems like a lot of dried pasta. Thanks in advance
Reply
Hi, I used dry pasta, but you can easily use less. Hope you love this recipe!
Reply
I would say that 250g dry pasta for two people is the correct amount for a main course dish.
Naturally, if you are providing starters and sweet it can be reduced somewhat.Reply
FINALLY found a way to eat egg plant!!! Bury it in pasta and cheese 😂
Made this last night and it is a keeper 🙌Reply
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that Sami!
Reply
Perfect recipe, thanks a lot! 🙂Reply
Excellent! Thanks!
Reply
I swapped ricotta for torn up tofu to make this a vegan dish and my husband loved it! It was very mild and tasty!Reply
Amazing! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Reply
I just love, love, love your recipes!
Reply
Thank you, I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
Reply
Made this twice in the past 8 months. second time added chicken. Sooooo good.Reply
Yay!! Thanks so much Kajuana!
Reply
So delicious!! Absolutely making this again… for company next time. 😊Reply
It makes me so happy to hear that. Thanks Katya!
Reply
So delicious! I love eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes, and what a fantastic way to combine them. Regarding the 2 servings: I used 250g of rigatoni – which made WAY beyond what my daughter and I could eat in one sitting. It’s the only thing we had for dinner, and there’s easily 4 servings left. The leftovers filled a 2.2 qt dish to the brim!Reply
So delicious! I love eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes, and what a great way to combine them. Regarding the 2 servings: I used 250g of rigatoni – which made WAY beyond what my daughter and I could eat in one sitting. It’s the only thing we had for dinner, and there’s easily 4 servings left. The leftovers filled a 2.2 qt dish to the brim!
Reply
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try! Enjoy the leftovers!
Reply
I was given a few eggplants so used two to make and double this recipe. I’m primarily dairy free, and my daughter is plant based, so I didn’t use ricotta. I did add spinach, pine nuts and capers. Good recipe! This fed 8 people with doubling and there was still a ton left over. So one recipe would probably serve 6-8 people.Reply
Thank you Meri! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Reply
I’m sorry, but how many ounces of pasta in this recipe? One conversion chart says 250 gr of dry pasta is 8 ozs., and another says it’s 20 ozs. Very confusing.Reply
Hi Suzy, it’s 9 ounces. Happy cooking!
Reply
This looks so good! What a great weeknight comfort food dish!
Reply
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Reply
You can keep the leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days. Happy cooking!
Reply
An easy to follow recipe. Shallots, garlic, sundried tomatoes ? Whole family loved it. I stuck to the recipe with no substitutions. Smoked paprika too. Making it right now for the second time.Reply
Thanks Jim! It makes me so happy to hear that!
Reply
Made this several times – first time just for myself and then the second time for a group of 10 people! They all loved it and was quite easy to upscale! Quick and highly tasty, will definitely keep making!Reply
Thank you Bethany! I’m so happy to hear that!
Reply
Delicious! I made this for a dinner party. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes. Greetings from Nairobi, KenyaReply
You’re welcome Dee! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Greetings! x
Reply
Absolutely, delicious! I cut the recipe in half and have plenty for at least three meals (it’s just me). I cut up the eggplant earlier and made the cook time a breeze!
Reply
Hi Alyssa! Thank you for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Reply
Do you peel the eggplant?
Reply
Hi Cher, eggplant skin is edible and contains nutrients and fiber. There’s no need to peel the eggplant, it will become tender after sautéing. The skin will soften and blend into the sauce, adding a slightly chewy texture. However, if you prefer to peel the eggplant for a smoother sauce without any chewy bits, go for it! Enjoy the recipe!
Reply
This was a fantastic dish for using up some leftover ingredients + fresh CSA veggies; it comes together so easy and will be one of my go-tos for eggplant season from now on. It’s great with a bit of fresh oregano added.Reply
Hi Amelie, thank you for your comment. It makes me so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
Reply
Can I replace the egg-Kant for zucchini instead? If so, how would I do this. I am not familiar with cooking with zucchini or eggplant. Thank you in advance. I’m looking forward to making this and adding a protein, maybe a sausage of sorts or even chicken not sure but your input would be greatly appreciated.
Reply
Hi Katherine, you can easily substitute the eggplant with zucchini and prepare it following the same instructions as you would for the eggplant. Additionally, you can enhance the protein by including options such as chicken, rotisserie chicken, Italian sausage, or shrimp.
Please let me know if you have any more questions. Enjoy the recipe, and I’d love to hear how it turned out for you!Reply
Quick and easy recipe to follow. My family thoroughly enjoyed it!Reply
It makes me so happy to hear that Thandie!
Reply
Look delish! What can i substitute with rigatoni?
Reply
Hi Christine, you can try it with ziti, penne, any pasta with ridges or one that has a spiral shape. Please let me know if you have any more questions. Enjoy the recipe!
Reply
In my family’s humble opinion – this was very average. The recipe was a little bland and it was a lot of work to cut the eggplant in tiny cubes. This is not one that we will make again.Reply
Hi Brigitte, I appreciate you making this dish and sharing your feedback! So sorry this took longer than expected to prepare.
Reply
Any recommendations to make this vegan?
Reply
Hi, you can use vegan ricotta, silky tofu or cashew cheese. Enjoy the recipe!
Reply
