Potluck at IHCC - Penne with Eggplant, Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Potluck at I Heart Cooking Club means….select any Jamie Oliver dish you want. For me…pasta is always at the top of my favorite list so I prepared Penne with Eggplant, Tomatoes and Mozzarella from Jamie’s Dinners. As luck would have it our weather cooperated and we were able to enjoy the meal on the patio. Even better, .there was enough for leftovers – yea!


Ingredients needed……

1 firm ripe pink, black, or white eggplant
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
Two 14-ounce cans good-quality plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 fresh or dried chilies, chopped or crumbled, optional
Bunch fresh basil, leaves ripped and stalks sliced
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni or penne
8 ounces mozzarella
1 piece Parmesan cheese, for grating

Dice the eggplant into small cubes. Drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and sauté the eggplant until soft. Add the onion and garlic and after 2 minutes or so…they will get soft and start to brown. Add tomatoes and balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Go out in the garden and snip off some basil leaves and stems. Toss those in.

Start heating your water for pasta while the sauce is simmering. After 15 minutes at a low simmer, add 4 tablespoons of cream, stir gently.



Jamie suggests mixing your cooked pasta into the sauce but we just spooned the sauce over the bowled pasta. Don’t forget the mozzarella!

Sending this to IHCC for the Potluck theme and to the host of Presto Pasta Nights, Jennifer of Such a Time as This! Bon appétit!