Penne with Eggplant

I love pasta and vegetables. This pasta dish is one of my favorites to make not only because it's easy, but because it's so yummy.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 8oz. package of penne pasta
• 2 tbsp of olive oil, or more if needed
• 1 eggplant, halved lengthwise and cut into small pieces
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of sun-dried tomato spread
• 1 cup of tomato sauce, or more if needed
• 4 leaves of chopped fresh basil
• Parmesan cheese(however much you want.)

Procedure:

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink, reserving 1 cup pasta water.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in eggplant and garlic, and drizzle with remaining olive oil to coat; cook and stir until the eggplant is tender and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sun-dried tomato spread and tomato sauce; cook and stir until heated, through about 5 minutes more. Add penne and toss. Stir in pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

Enjoy