Spiced Tomato and Eggplant Pasta
- Serves: 4
- Time: 45 min
- Date added: 2026-04-08
Description
This Afghan-Italian mashup, from my cookbook “Third Culture Cooking” (Abrams, 2025), is inspired by the beloved Italian pasta alla Norma and Afghan borani banjan; both feature tender eggplant in a spiced tomato sauce. While the technique mirrors a classic pasta alla Norma, the flavors here steer closer to borani banjan, which is made with earthy spices and typically served with yogurt over top to add a fresh, bright balance to the richly spiced stewed eggplant. The marriage of these inspirations results in a spectacular, satisfying vegetarian pasta that tastes like it took hours to make (and it can easily be prepped ahead; see Tips). The yogurt may feel unorthodox, but paired with the hearty pasta and sauce, its punch adds a welcome balance.
Ingredients
- Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal
- .33 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 large eggplant (about 1¼ pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- .5 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste, preferably double-concentrated
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes (see Tips)
- 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped mint (or dill), plus leaves for serving
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta, or another large pasta shape
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Heat .33 olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is softened and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the same pot. Add ⅔ of the finely grated garlic (about 4 cloves’ worth), the cumin, coriander and crushed red pepper. Cook to toast the spices, 15 to 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until darker in color, about 3 minutes.
- Add whole peeled tomatoes (including liquid), .5 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot. Using a wooden spoon, crush the tomatoes until the sauce is mostly smooth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until sauce comes together, about 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, make the yogurt sauce by combining the yogurt, finely chopped mint, remaining garlic (about 2 cloves’ worth) and .5 salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then chill until ready to serve.
- Cook the pasta in the salted boiling water until 2 minutes less than al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
- Add eggplant to the tomato sauce and continue to cook until eggplant is tender and warmed through, another 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer cooked pasta to sauce along with a ladle of reserved pasta water. Stir to coat and continue cooking until pasta is al dente, 2 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust to your preference.
- Divide pasta among bowls and top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the yogurt sauce and some more fresh mint leaves.
Notes
- Use a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes instead of whole peeled tomatoes if you cannot find San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes.
- Do Ahead: Eggplant and garlic can be prepared ahead, stored separately in airtight containers, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Eggplant can be sautéed up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Sauce can be entirely prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stovetop before adding pasta and pasta water. The mint yogurt can be prepared, without the salt, up to 2 days in advance, stored in an airtight container, and refrigerated until ready to serve; season with salt before serving.