This Eggplant Caponata Pasta with Smoked Mozzarella is everything you want in a savory dish – perfectly al dente mezzi rigatoni, vegetables cooked down to a sweet, jam-like consistency, toasted pine nuts for texture & nuttiness, plenty of parm, and smoked mozzarella for added richness and depth of flavor. It’s addictingly good, not-your-average pasta, and guaranteed to get you out of any dinner rut!
This eggplant caponata pasta was born from another one of my recipes that I absolutely love. I recently made the eggplant caponata crostini from my cookbook for an appetizer on Christmas Eve. It’s one of my favorites – I’ve made it countless times for a vegetarian appetizer, I’ve made it for my book signings in the past, and parties I’ve hosted. Everyone is always hovered over it, intrigued by it, and won’t stop talking about it. I decided it would be incredible in pasta form, and I was right!
If you’ve never had eggplant caponata, it’s a Sicilian dish made of eggplant, onions, bell pepper, celery and tomatoes. It traditionally has olives and capers, but I opt for just capers in mine.
It’s almost like a vegetable relish – the veggies are finely diced, and cooked low and slow until they resemble a jam-like consistency. I also add a touch of sugar to mine to help that process along. These simple ingredients are completely transformed into something incredible. Here’s what you need:
- extra virgin olive oil
- sweet onion
- garlic
- eggplant
- red bell pepper
- celery
- grape tomatoes
- capers
- red wine vinegar
- sugar
- toasted pine nuts
- flat leaf parsley
- salt & pepper
And for the pasta:
- mezzi rigatoni (feel free to use your favorite short-cut pasta!)
- freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
- smoked mozzarella
The most time-consuming part of this entire recipe is the chopping.
As soon as you have your onion, garlic, bell pepper, eggplant, celery, and tomatoes chopped, the hardest part is over! The rest of the recipe comes together effortlessly. You cook down the veggies until they’re sweet and jam-like, throw in the toasted pine nuts and herbs, cook the pasta, toss in the cheeses, and broil for 5 minutes!
It’s totally weeknight-worthy, while feeling a little bit fancy and special. 🙂
Here’s a quick rundown on how you make this eggplant caponata pasta:
- Chop your veggies. As I mentioned, it’s the hardest part of the whole recipe!
- Make the caponata. Sauté the onion, garlic, eggplant, bell pepper, and celery in olive oil for a good 20 minutes. Then, add the tomatoes, capers, red wine vinegar, and sugar, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or so. Toss in the toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley, season with salt and pepper, and that’s it!
- Cook the pasta. Mezzi rigatoni is a huge favorite in this household, but you can use whatever you love! Make sure it’s super al dente, as it continues to cook when tossed with the caponata, and again under the broiler.
- Toss the pasta. Stir the hot pasta into the caponata. Add the smoked mozz and parm, and stir to combine.
- Broil. Transfer to a oven-safe skillet or baking dish, and add the rest of the parmigiano reggiano on top. Place the pasta under the broiler to heat through and melt the cheeses for 5 minutes.
- Serve. I like to serve this in bowls, with a drizzle of olive oil, extra parmigiano, and a sprinkle of chopped parsley to finish.
I truly can’t wait for you to try this one.
It’s the perfect “post-holiday, I should eat as many vegetables as possible, but still want pasta and cheese”, pasta.
Buon appetito!
If you love this recipe, you will also love:
Arugula Farro Salad with Garlic Roasted Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Smoked Mozzarella
Grilled Balsamic Chicken with Basil Mashed Potatoes
Summer Pasta Salad
Shrimp Pasta with Dill Pesto and Garlic Roasted Tomatoes
Broccoli Pesto Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
Green Olive Pasta with Toasted Lemon Breadcrumbs and Herbs
Creamy Pumpkin Cottage Cheese Pasta
Salmon, Broccoli, and Lemon Chickpea Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Basil
Garlic Roasted Tomato Red Lentil Pasta with Arugula and Toasted Pine Nuts
And don’t forget to share a photo on Instagram and tag me @spicesinmydna if you make this recipe! Nothing makes me happier than seeing what you create in the kitchen!
Eggplant Caponata Pasta with Smoked Mozzarella
This Eggplant Caponata Pasta with Smoked Mozzarella is everything you want in a savory dish - perfectly al dente mezzi rigatoni, vegetables cooked down to a sweet, jam-like consistency, toasted pine nuts for texture & nuttiness, plenty of parm, and smoked mozzarella for added richness and depth of flavor. It's addictingly good, not-your-average pasta, and guaranteed to get you out of any dinner rut!
Ingredients
For the caponata
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 of a large sweet onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 medium eggplant, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 ribs celery, finely diced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- salt and pepper
For the pasta
- 1 pound mezzi rigatoni (or your favorite short-cut pasta)
- 1 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, divided
- 8 ounces fresh smoked mozzarella, cut into 1/2'' pieces
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, for serving
Instructions
Begin by making the caponata. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, eggplant, bell pepper, celery, and a big pinch or two of salt, and sauté for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, reducing the heat as needed, until the vegetables have begun to cook down and caramelize. Add the tomatoes, capers, vinegar, sugar, and another big pinch or two of salt, and sauté for another 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes have broken down and become jammy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
While the caponata is cooking, toast the pine nuts. Add the pine nuts to a dry skillet over medium to medium-low heat. Watch them very carefully, shaking the pan frequently, until they're golden brown and fragrant. Be careful, they can burn in an instant! Remove from the pan immediately into a small bowl. Once the caponata is finished cooking, add the toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley and stir to combine. Season to taste once more with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Season generously with salt. Cook the pasta to just shy of al dente, as it will continue to cook when tossed with the caponata, and under the broiler as well.
Preheat your broiler to high. Add the cooked pasta to the caponata along with half of the parmigiano reggiano, and all of the smoked mozzarella. Stir to combine. Transfer pasta to an oven-safe skillet (if it's not in one already), or a baking dish. Top with remaining parm. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top. Broil for 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melty and golden, and pasta is warmed through.
To serve, portion into bowls, drizzle with a little olive oil, top with extra parmigiano, and chopped parsley.
There may be an affiliate link(s) in this post, which means that if you click on a product link above and complete a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you! As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you SO much for reading!
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