This week’s recipe is for an eggplant and zucchini pasta with Feta and olives, the perfect dish for those times when we want something quick, comforting, and satisfying for dinner. Unlike some pasta dishes, which can be heavy and starchy, this dish is full of delicious vegetables and light on the pasta!
The vegetables
The vegetables I used for this recipe are eggplant, zucchini, red onion and garlic. This vegetarian recipe is super versatile, however, and you can easily add or substitute other vegetables you might have on hand, such as bell peppers, mushrooms, shallots, yellow squash, etc. Instead of the tomato sauce, you can use juicy, ripe tomatoes, if you are lucky enough to have them in season near you. The pasta to vegetable ratio is pretty low intentionally, as this allows the flavors of the vegetables to come through!
Building flavors
These delicious, caramelized vegetables tossed with the hot pasta alone make a very tasty pasta dish, but what really elevates this dish is the addition of Greek feta cheese and Kalamata olives. The sharp, briny flavor of these ingredients really compliments the well-seasoned vegetables and the creamy pasta.
Tips for cooking the perfect pasta
- Add your salt to the water after it is at a full boil, so it dissolves immediately. Otherwise, salt is corrosive and can pit your pot.
- Course sea salt is the salt of choice in Italy, but fine sea, table or kosher salt will do. Avoid iodized salt which has a metallic flavor.
- How much salt to add to the pot does not depend on the amount of pasta you cook , rather, it depends on the amount of water you boil. We may heard the saying that the water should “taste like the sea”, but this is a bit excessive and will result in over-salting. For most people 2 tsp. – 1 TBSP. of fine sea salt (or table salt) to 1 liter water is enough to season the pasta well.
- Don’t waste olive oil by adding it to your pasta water. It will not prevent the pasta from sticking and it will mostly float to the surface.
- Don’t use too much water in the pot. Use just enough to cover the pasta and a little more. This will result in more concentration of the starch in the cooking water, which you might use later to thin out the sauce, if or as needed.
- Don’t throw out the cooking water. Because of the starch in it, it will act as an emulsifier when added to the sauce.
- Ignore the cooking time indicated on the box. Cook the pasta less, add it to the sauce and finish cooking gently in the sauce!
☙ Eggplant and Zucchini Pasta with Feta and Olives ❧
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ med. red onion, diced
- 1 small zucchini (about 10 oz), diced
- 1 small baby Italian eggplant (about 10 oz.). diced
- 4 med. garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. mixture of dried herbs (like oregano, thyme,
- spearmint, fennel seeds, coriander, rosemary)
- 2 TBSP. red wine
- 8 oz. crushed tomato sauce
- ¼ cup Kalamata olives, cut into quarters
- ½ lb. flat ribbon pasta (like pappardelle)
- ½ cup Greek Feta cheese, cubed
- --- --- fresh basil for garnish
- First, prepare the vegetables. Dice the onion and cut the zucchini into ¼” cubes. Trim the stem from the eggplant, then peel it in alternating strips about 1” wide, leaving about half the peel on the eggplant and half off. Slice the eggplant into ½” thick disks, then cut the disks into ½” cubes. Mince the garlic and set aside.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet and, once hot, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Reduce slightly the heat to medium, add the zucchini, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the onion and ½ teaspoon of sea salt. Once the vegetables soften, add the minced garlic and cook for a few more minutes until everything turns light golden brown. Remove everything to a plate and set aside.
- To the same skillet, add 4 more tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil gets hot, add the eggplant cubes and sprinkle them with ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook, shaking the pan and stirring regularly until the eggplant cubes are nicely browned and soft. Towards the end of the cooking, stir in 1 teaspoon of the mixed dried herbs to coat.
- Return the reserved vegetables to the same pan. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the tomato sauce along with the olives. Cook for a few more minutes, deglaze with the wine and turn off the heat.
- While the vegetables cook, bring a medium pot full of water to a boil and then add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Do not overcook the pasta! Drain it well and reserve ½ cup of the cooking water. Pour the hot pasta into the skillet with the vegetables and the tomato sauce. Bring the skillet to a low simmer for a minute, stirring well. Turn off the heat and fold in the Feta cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If necessary, thin out the sauce by adding a little of the cooking water.
- Place the pasta on a warm platter, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, and garnish with the fresh basil. Serve at once.
I developed this recipe for Zelos, a small but dynamic company that imports authentic Greek artisanal products directly from Greece. I used one of their premium gift boxes that included Greek semolina and egg pasta, a delicious tomato and wine sauce, an aromatic Greek herb mixture, Kalamata olives and a fruity Greek olive oil, among others. The recipe turned out delicious and I decided to share it here on my blog too. If you would like to learn more about my culinary career and food photography, you can read my interview with Zelos here!
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Ahh, pasta! And with veggies, black olives, feta…this is sure to be delicious! A great way to edge into summer.
Thank you, Marilena, for another beautiful dish!
Thank you so much! It is a simple pasta dish but the flavors are incredible…. I hope you try it:)