Caramelized Eggplant & Pesto Pasta

A quick weeknight summer dinner featuring everybody’s favorite vegetable to pick on – eggplant. But prepared correctly it yields a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a complex sweetness that leaves you craving more! A simple pesto recipe to coat the noodles, and sweet ripe cherry tomatoes brings it all together.

For the Eggplant:
2 medium (6″ long & skinny) eggplant, preferably the Japanese variety
salt
3-5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the Pesto & Pasta:
1 lb penne pasta
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 heaping cups packed basil leaves (I used sweet Thai basil)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup nutritional yeast
dash cayenne pepper
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt, to taste (1/4 tsp? I never measure!)
fresh ground pepper, to taste

View the full recipe at My California Roots →