Slow-Cooked Eggplant Spinach Pasta
Tender eggplant and fresh spinach slowly cooked with red wine and Italian seasoning, then spooned over spiral pasta for a simple and satisfying vegetable dinner.
Equipment
- Frying pan
- Knife
- large saucepan
- slow cooker
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 340 g spiral pasta
- 1 medium eggplant cut into 2 cm cubes
- 170 g fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 30 ml dry red wine
- 120 ml vegetable broth
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add half of the eggplant cubes.
- Cook until lightly browned on all sides.
- Transfer the browned eggplant to the slow cooker.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the frying pan.
- Brown the remaining eggplant.
- Transfer it to the slow cooker.
- Add the garlic, Italian herbs, salt and black pepper.
- Pour in the red wine and vegetable broth.
- Stir until evenly combined.
- Cover the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 3 hours.
- Add the fresh spinach.
- Stir the spinach into the eggplant mixture.
- Cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the spiral pasta according to the package instructions until al dente.
- Reserve 120 ml of the pasta water.
- Drain the pasta.
- Stir enough reserved pasta water into the eggplant mixture to create a light sauce.
- Divide the pasta among 4 plates.
- Spoon the eggplant and spinach mixture over the pasta.
- Serve immediately.
Notes & Wine Advice
Serving Suggestions
Serve the pasta with a green salad or warm garlic bread. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, fresh basil or chopped parsley immediately before serving. Vegetarians can add ricotta or grated Parmesan, while vegans can use a suitable plant-based alternative.Recipe Notes
The original recipe contained very little liquid, which could cause the vegetables to dry out or stick during four hours of slow cooking. Vegetable broth has therefore been added, and the spinach is stirred in near the end so that it retains more colour and texture. Check the pasta packaging when an egg-free or vegan dish is required.Variations
Add chopped tomatoes for a richer sauce or include mushrooms with the eggplant. Replace the spiral pasta with penne, fusilli or another short pasta. For extra heat, add red pepper flakes with the Italian herbs.Storage
Store the cooked pasta and vegetable mixture separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat the vegetables thoroughly in a saucepan and add a splash of water or vegetable broth if the sauce has thickened.Wine Advice
A medium-bodied Chianti complements the eggplant, spinach and Italian herbs. Pinot Grigio is a lighter alternative when white wine is preferred.Nutrition values
Serving: 1 plate | Calories: 390 kcal | Carbohydrates: 66 g | Protein: 12 g | Fat: 10 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Sodium: 390 mg | Sugar: 6 g