Bow-Tie Eggplant Pasta

I love cooking with squash and eggplants in the summer. My local farmer’s market has a great selection of different squash and eggplants. This week I found a beautiful bright “neon” eggplant. It has gorgeous bright color, and tastes just as good as it looks. Since it tastes so good, I wanted to make a dish to really showcase it’s flavor. I sauteed it with a little onion, garlic, and a pint of those sun gold cherry tomatoes. After they were cooked, I gave them a spin in m y food processor with a big handful of fresh basil and some Parmesan cheese. For even more flavor, I added some pine nuts and crushed red pepper.

You could certainly use a regular eggplant, and regular cherry tomatoes in this dish, and it will be just as good. For the pasta, I used Barilla Plus Farfalle pasta. It’s a super healthy, and delicious, multigrain pasta that is full of protein and Omega-3.

Here’s a little more about Barilla Plus Pasta:

A Good Source of Protein: Barilla Plus provides 10 grams of high quality protein per 56g (1/2 cup uncooked/1 cup cooked). Not all proteins are alike when it comes to quality.  A high quality protein food means that it contains essential amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein that only come from specific foods.  The high quality protein in Barilla Plus comes from ingredients such as chickpeas, lentils and egg whites. It surpasses traditional pasta in terms of protein quality and more importantly, Barilla Plus provides protein without introducing high levels of saturated fats and cholesterol found in other protein.

A Good Source of ALA Omega-3 Fatty Acids: The American Heart Association recommends eating foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, at least once a week.  Because our bodies don’t naturally produce ALA omega-3 fatty acids, they must be consumed in the diet.  Flaxseeds, used in Barilla PLUS, are a plant source of ALA (alpha linolenic acid), an essential omega-3 fatty acid.  Barilla PLUS contains 200 mg of ALA per 56 g serving, which is 15 percent of the recommended intake (1.3 g/d).

A Good Source of Fiber:  The American Dietetic Association recommends eating 20-30 grams of fiber each day to help prevent heart disease.  Barilla PLUS offers a good source of fiber through its naturally fiber-rich ingredients.  The unique multigrain blend found in Barilla PLUS – semolina (coarse durum wheat), oats, spelt and barley – delivers most of its fiber and complex carbohydrates. The fiber composition is further enhanced by the addition of legumes, ground flaxseeds and oat fiber, all sources of soluble and insoluble fiber.

Now time for the giveaway!

* $25 Visa gift card
* 2 boxes of Barilla Plus pasta

To enter, just leave a comment below telling me your favorite pasta dish.

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Thanks and good luck!

Yield: 4 servings

Bow-Tie Eggplant Pasta

5.00 stars (1 reviews)

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Cook Time:   10 minutes    Total Time:   25 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 tablesopon olive oil
1 medium eggplant, diced (I used a neon eggplant)
1/2 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 pint cherry tomatoes (I used Sun Gold, a very sweet gold cherry tomato)
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 large bunch fresh basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz uncooked Barilla Plus Farfalle (Bow-Tie) Pasta

Directions:

Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan for pasta, and cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, pre-heat skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil. Add diced eggplant, onion, garlic and salt. Saute until eggplant is about halfway done then add cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and crushed red pepper. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes have popped.

Add eggplant mixture to a food processor with fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese. Pulse until fine. Combine eggplant sauce with cooked and drained pasta. Toss to coat. Serve with crusty bread and a simple salad.

RECIPE NOTES:

Adapted from this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

All text and images © Angela McGowan / Eclectic Recipes

*Nutritional Information is not guaranteed for 100% accuracy.

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Disclaimer: Barilla provided product and compensation for this post. All opinions 100% mine.