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Creamy pasta made with sun-dried tomatoes, cheese and eggplant is the ultimate comfort meal!
Inspired by pasta alla Norma, the classic Sicilian dish, it features easy-to-find ingredients so you can make it in under 30 minutes!
What Makes Sun-Dried Tomatoes So Special?
Sun-dried tomatoes from Italy are prized for their rich and robust flavour.
Whether you’re shopping the food markets of Florence or relaxing over aperitivo in the “heel of the boot” in Puglia, you’re sure to notice their wonderful flavour.
Why are they so special? During my time exploring southern cuisine in Salento, Puglia, Puglia, I learned that their superior taste is due to several factors including:
- Specific varieties of tomato used (San Marzano and Roma).
- Warm days and cool nights of the Mediterranean climate contributes to the development of sugars and flavours in the tomatoes.
- Centuries-old traditional methods of cultivation, hand-picking and drying slowly in the open air allows the natural sweetness and umami of the tomatoes to intensify.
- No artificial additives or preservatives.
All of which adds up to the exceptional taste of sun-dried tomatoes from Italy! A jar of sun dried tomatoes packed in extra-virgin olive oil is one of my favourite purchases in Italy or at home.
So, I’m always on the lookout for recipes using sun-dried tomatoes. And Pasta alla Norma — an eggplant and pasta dish we discovered on a trip to Sicily — is the perfect dish to showcase the bold flavour of sun-dried tomatoes.
While this dish takes its inspiration from the original which hails from the province of Catania, it features a few simple swaps and easier-to-find ingredients.
This means you can get this dish on the table in under 30 minutes rather than hand-milling tomatoes and simmering sauce for a full afternoon.
But you’ll still get plenty of fabulous flavour.
Jump to:
- What Makes Sun-Dried Tomatoes So Special?
- Why You’ll Love This Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Recipe
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Eggplant
- Serving Suggestions
- How to Store Leftover Pasta
- Expert Tips
- More Delicious Pasta Recipes to Try
- Recipe FAQs
- More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Creamy Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Eggplant
Why You’ll Love This Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Recipe
- Satisfying, Hearty, and Filling. This recipe fills the belly without meat!
- Creamy Pasta Recipe. You’ll love it as a vegetarian main dish or it can be a side dish for meals.
- Vegetarian. A meatless pasta dish that’s perfect for vegetarians at the table but one everyone is sure to enjoy.
- Kid friendly. The simple flavours of tomato with pasta makes a great dish the whole family will love. The vegetables melt into the pasta and almost disappear making this dish great to sneak in some veggies for the kids.
- Easy to Make: From start to finish you can get this simple pasta recipe on the table in under 30 minutes! It’s perfect for entertaining too.
Ingredients
Pasta with eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes is made using simple, easy to find ingredients.
Here’s a look at the main items you will need. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full list and quantities.
- Pasta: I recommend using penne or rigatoni for this pasta recipe. You can easily swap it for other short pastas if you prefer but try to choose one with ridges. It works best to hold the creamy sauce.
- Eggplant: Buy your eggplant within a couple days prior to making this recipe. They are relatively perishable and take a more bitter flavour the longer they sit.
- Sun-dried tomato: Drying tomatoes and preserving them in olive oil concentrates the sweet and slightly tart flavour. The umami of sun dried tomatoes adds depth to the dish that pureed tomatoes can’t do. Get the jarred or canned sundried tomatoes in oil as the recipe also uses oil from the tomatoes.
- Aromatics: Onions and garlic layer in flavour to the tomato and eggplant sauce. Use fresh garlic for the best results.
- Tomato paste: Since it’s concentrated tomato it adds a real boost to the simple sauce.
- Cream cheese: Adds a delightful creamy texture to this easy pasta recipe. It substitutes for ricotta salata (dried, salted ricotta), typically used in Pasta alla Norma, Much as with ricotta forte another type of ricotta popular in southern Italy ricotta salata can be difficult to get outside the country. Cream cheese provides a rich, slightly tangy flavour that I prefer over plain ricotta.
- Red pepper flakes: Just for a bit of heat.
- Parmigiano reggiano: Use freshly grated if you can! It has a much softer texture and bolder flavour. Pre-shredded cheese is usually a bit drier as it’s more exposed to air.
Substitutions and Variations
- Dried sun-dried tomatoes. I really encourage you to use the ones packed in oil but if not, dried will work. But you’ll need to rehydrate them in hot water for one hour first.
- Swap the cream cheese. You can use ricotta cheese instead.
- Olives. Add sliced black kalamata olives for a salty, tangy addition that works perfectly with the sun-dried tomatoes and eggplant.
- Add a Protein. This pasta tastes great with cooked sliced chicken breast or sauteed shrimp added to the skillet. If you want to keep it vegetarian you can add some garbanzo beans or cannellini beans.
- Swap the Parsley. Use fresh basil instead.
- Artichokes: Add drained artichokes.
How to Make Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Eggplant
Ready to get started cooking? Here’s a look at the main steps. Be sure to see the recipe card for the full recipe details.
This dish goes together quickly so start by getting your pasta cooking in salted water right from the beginning. Cook it until it’s al dente and then drain. But be sure to save about a quarter cup of the pasta water.
- Sauté the onion, garlic, and eggplant in some of the oil from the sun-dried tomates. Cook until they’re softened but not browned, about ten minutes.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for two more minutes.
- Add the parsley, tomato paste, cream cheese, red chili flakes and the pasta to the skillet with the vegetables. Stir all together and cook until it’s heated through. Season the pasta with salt and pepper.
⭐️ PRO TIP: If you want your pasta to have a little bit more sauce you can add the reserved pasta water at this point.
- Garnish your finished eggplant and sun-dried tomato pasta with parsley and freshly grated parmesan. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This pasta with cream cheese recipe is a good option for an easy weeknight dinner. It’s meant to be a vegetarian main dish but it would easily work as a side dish as well.
Serve it with a side of garlic bread, pure di fave (fava bean purée) or a crisp Italian-inspired salad of purslane, walnuts and pomegranate.
For a family gathering or dinner party, these sardine pate toasts or mini caprese skewers make a tasty appetizer to offer guests as they arrive.
Add sliced grilled chicken breasts or breaded chicken breasts on top of the pasta dish to make it heartier.
Or serve it up alongside roasted chicken as a side dish. Enjoy it with a Vodka, Campari and Orange Cocktail.
How to Store Leftover Pasta
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a skillet on top of the stove.
If it seems a little dry you can add a bit more moisture to loosen it up a bit. I don’t recommend freezing it.
Expert Tips
- Keep the Oil From the Tomatoes. If you use sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, save the flavourful olive oil. It’s a fantastic base for sauteeing vegetables or using in salad dressings.
- Cook Your Pasta Al Dente. This means it should have a tiny bit of a “bite” after cooking. You don’t want to overcook it to the point that it’s too soft. Also, it will cook slightly more when added to the sauce.
- Serve Immediately. This pasta recipe definitely tastes best when served right away!
More Delicious Pasta Recipes to Try
- Creamy Fettuccine with Lobster
- Mediterranean Pizza Pasta Salad
- Sicilian Pasta with Sardines and other canned sardine recipes)
Recipe FAQs
Sun-dried tomatoes are available in jars packed with oil or actually dried. If you use the tomatoes in oil they are already hydrated so there’s no need for this extra step. But if you are using the dried version you will want to rehydrate them before adding to pasta as they are quite chewy.
The jars or cans are usually shelf-stable until they are opened. Once you open the jar you will want to store any leftovers in the fridge. The opened jar should last up to six months.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a comment further down if you REALLY like it. Thanks!
Creamy Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Eggplant
Ingredients
- 9 oz penne or rigatoni pasta 250 g
- 1 medium eggplant partially peeled and diced in small pieces ( 1.21 oz or 550 g)
- 1 cup sliced sundried tomato with 4 tablespoons of the oil 7.76 oz or 220 g
- 1 small onion minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup cream cheese 4 oz
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Sea salt to taste
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
Instructions
- Boil pasta in a large pot with salted water until al dente. Remove ¼ cup of the cooking water and drain the rest.
- Heat a non-stick skillet with 4 tablespoons of the sundried tomato oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, garlic and eggplant until softened but not browned. Cook for 10 minutes (until eggplant is tender). Now add the sliced sundried tomato. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add parsley, tomato paste, cream cheese, red chili flakes and the pasta. Stir all together. If you prefer more sauce, add the ¼ cup of cooking water or you can leave like this. Cook until heated through. Adjust salt and pepper.
- Garnish with parsley and freshly grated parmesan.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Keep the Oil From the Tomatoes. If you use sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, save the flavourful olive oil. It’s a fantastic base for sauteeing vegetables or using in salad dressings.
- Cook Your Pasta Al Dente. This means it should have a tiny bit of a “bite” after cooking. You don’t want to overcook it to the point that it’s too soft. Also, it will cook slightly more when added to the sauce.
- Serve Immediately. This pasta recipe definitely tastes best when served right away!
Nutrition
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Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.
Read more about Michele Peterson.
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