Pasta with Eggplant & Caper Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 medium eggplant, peeled & cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 lb.)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 lbs. tomatoes, cored & chopped, or 4 (14.5 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained)
• 1/2 cup capers, rinsed & drained
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp. fresh basil
• 1 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 12 oz. whole wheat pasta
• 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz.)

Makes 8 Servings

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place eggplant cubes in a 15 X 10 X 1-inch baking pan. Drizzle eggplant with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; toss to coat. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until eggplant is tender but still holding its shape.
2. Meanwhile, in a large  saucepan heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add eggplant and garlic, cook about 10 minutes more or until eggplant is very soft and starting to break apart, stirring occasionally.
3. Add tomatoes, capers, and olives to eggplant mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer for 15-20 minutes more or until desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Stir in basil, oregano, and thyme. Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain well. Return to hot pan; cover and keep warm. Serve sauce over cooked pasta; sprinkle with cheese.

WW POINTS VALUE: 7 pts.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. This is what I call a SAUCE! Tomatoes and eggplant are in season and they are perfect to make this homemade pasta sauce. You can even serve this sauce alongside chicken, turkey, veal and maybe even fish. What makes this an authentic Mediterranean sauce are the basil, thyme, eggplant, kalamata olives and capers. I also highly recommend using 2 tablespoons of tomato paste to make the sauce really thick and flavorful. If you're unsure of what kind of olive oil to use, there's a variety of flavors at the Imperial Olive. For more information, visit www.TheImperialOlive.com.