This one-pot vegetarian pasta is what easy weeknight dinner dreams are made of! To make this pasta, all you have to do is combine the rigatoni, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, eggplant and basil in one pot and let the ingredients cook away!
When I was in Italy this past September, my nonna made one of her signature pasta dishes. Eggplant pasta with fresh mozzarella di bufala, basil and garlic. Her own pasta alla norma if you will. She makes hers the traditional way you would make a pasta dish – cook the sauce in one pot, and boil the pasta water and cook the penne in the other pot.
So I decided to make a one-pot version of her recipe. Everything is cooked in one pot (hence the name!), the tomato sauce, the water, the pasta, the eggplant…all together. The end result is a tasty pasta dish with a richly-flavoured sauce. It’s almost the same as nonna’s, but in the end you’ll have one less pot to clean 🙂
What Cut of Pasta Should I Use For This Dish?
This dish traditionally uses penne, but I used rigatoni. I would stick with either of those, and preferably the “rigate” ones – those that have the ridges in the pasta (as opposed to the smooth ones) so they will hold the sauce better.
Do I Need to Salt the Eggplant Before Cooking It?
There is a lot of debate on this question and different sources will tell you different things. People say to salt the eggplant first so it releases its moisture, so it will cook better. Apparently salting the eggplant before cooking will also get rid of some of its bitterness once cooked.
I did not salt the eggplant beforehand for a few reasons. The flavour of the eggplant once it’s cooked in this dish tastes just fine without salting. The point of this dish is to be easy and quick (hence the one pot), so I didn’t want to add extra time to the recipe by adding the salting step, especially after confirming that the eggplant tasted fine in the end without salting. I did, however salt the eggplant as soon as I added it to the pot with the olive oil. I found that this helped the eggplant sweat and cook better in the pot.
How to Make this Eggplant Pasta with Tomato and Mozzarella (Pasta alla Norma) – Step by Step
To a pot on medium heat, add 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Once oil is shimmering, add the garlic and saute slightly until fragrant (photo 1)
Add the cubed eggplant to the pot, and salt lightly so they release their moisture. Saute until slightly tender, about 5 minutes (photos 2 and 3)
Add all the other ingredients to the pot (crushed strained tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, rigatoni, basil leaves, water, remaining olive oil, and salt and pepper) (photo 4)
Cook until pasta is al dente, about 30 minutes. Stir the pasta frequently, or else it will stick to the bottom of the pot. Turn heat down slightly if you find the pasta is sticking to the bottom of the pot easily. All the ingredients will have formed a nice sauce to coat the rigatoni after the 30 minutes. Add more salt and pepper if needed (photo 5)
Turn off the heat. Add the fresh mozzarella (bocconcini) to the pot and stir. The mozzarella will melt into the pasta. (photo 6) Top with additional basil. Serve pasta in individual plates, and top with parmesan cheese.
Extra Tips to Make this One Pot Pasta:
- The brand of rigatoni I used is La Molisana. It’s known to take longer to cook than other pasta brands, so if you use a different brand of pasta, you may have to reduce the amount of water you add to the pot.
- I found it best if you salt the eggplant as soon as you add it to the pot, so it will release its moisture and cook more easily. Stir the eggplant frequently so it doesn’t stick to the pot.
- With this one pot pasta, you will have to stir the pasta frequently so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. If you find that it’s sticking easily, lower the heat.
Other Pasta Recipes You Might Like:
- Pappardelle with burrata and burst cherry tomatoes
- Penne with Lemony Ricotta, Zucchini and Arugula
- Rigatoni with Beef Short Rib Ragu
If you’ve tried making this Eggplant Pasta with Tomato and Mozzarella (Pasta alla Norma), or any other recipe on the blog please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’ve been up to.
Eggplant Pasta with Tomato and Mozzarella
This one-pot vegetarian pasta is what easy weeknight dinner dreams are made of! To make this pasta, all you have to do is combine the rigatoni, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, eggplant and basil in one pot and let the ingredients cook away! Finish with fresh mozzarella and more basil, and you're done! Easy peasy.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups eggplant, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 1 cup crushed strained tomatoes
- 1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
- 225 g rigatoni
- 2 basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 2.5 cups water
- 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella (bocconcini), cut into cubes
- salt and pepper to taste
- parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
To a pot on medium heat, add 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Once oil is shimmering, add the garlic and saute slightly until fragrant.
Add the cubed eggplant to the pot, and salt lightly so they release their moisture. Saute until slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
Add all the other ingredients to the pot (crushed strained tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, rigatoni, basil leaves, water, remaining olive oil, and salt and pepper).
Cook until pasta is al dente, about 30 minutes. Stir the pasta frequently, or else it will stick to the bottom of the pot. Turn heat down slightly if you find the pasta is sticking to the bottom of the pot easily. All the ingredients will have formed a nice sauce to coat the rigatoni after the 30 minutes. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
Turn off the heat. Add the fresh mozzarella (bocconcini) to the pot and stir. The mozzarella will melt into the pasta. Top with additional basil.
Serve pasta in individual plates, and top with parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes
- The brand of rigatoni I used is La Molisana. It's known to take longer to cook than other pasta brands, so if you use a different brand of pasta, you may have to reduce the amount of water you add to the pot.
- I found it best if you salt the eggplant as soon as you add it to the pot, so it will release its moisture and cook more easily. Stir the eggplant frequently so it doesn't stick to the pot.
- With this one pot pasta, you will have to stir the pasta frequently so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. If you find that it's sticking easily, lower the heat.
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