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I can’t lie. My 1 1/2 year old is a good eater. And by good, I mean the first word out of his mouth in the morning is “lunch” (true fact) . However, he IS a kid, and occasionally he does put up a fight against the veggies. This dish did happily get gobbled up, and it was practically effortless. If you have a dairy loving husband in your house, you can easily separate portions in the last steps and add red pepper and boatloads of asiago cheese. Bon appetit!
- 1 large italian eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 1 pint of grape or cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and kept whole
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to your taste
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs (mint, parsley, or basil work . I used 1/4 parsley and 1/4 basil)
- 1 lb mini rotini, or other spiral pasta of your choice
Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix eggplant, tomatoes, and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle with about a tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to your personal taste. Transfer to a single layer on a baking sheet treated with non-stick spray. Roast for about a half hour, or until eggplant is soft.
While eggplant is roasting, cook pasta as directed. Be sure to reserve about a cup and a half of the cooking water before draining.
When the eggplant is roasted, transfer to a food processor. Add herbs and puree, adding olive oil until the mixture reaches your desired consistency. Mix puree into cooked pasta, adding reserved cooking water to add a more creamy texture as needed. Season with fresh herbs and serve.
*Now would be the time to add any grown-up or dairy products. Red pepper, salt, asiago cheese, or anything you else that curls your noodle.