Excerpt from Pamela Salzman’s Quicker Than Quick: 140 Crave-Worthy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Foods in 30 Minutes or Less by Pamela Salzman. Copyright © 2020. Available from Hachette Books, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
I adapted this recipe from the website of Jovial Foods. Jovial has a range of products, including pastas, tomatoes, and flours, all made with clean, organic ingredients. I use its brown rice here, but you can use your favorite. It’s all about the sauce, anyway: This sauce tastes as though it has been simmering all day on the stove, but in reality, it’s super quick to come together.
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INGREDIENTS
- 1 eggplant, medium-sized, peeled and cubed
- 8 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms, caps wiped clean with a paper towel
- ½ onion, medium, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 garlic clove
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, unrefined and cold-pressed
- 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
- 1 (18-ounce) jar tomatoes, crushed
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- Pinch dried oregano
- Pinch dried thyme
- Pinch dried basil, or a few leaves of fresh basil
- Pinch black pepper, freshly ground
- 12 ounces favorite pasta
DIRECTIONS
- Place the eggplant, mushrooms, onion, and garlic in a food processor and pulse to a coarse chop.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the parsley and chopped vegetables.
- Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, oregano, thyme, basil, and pepper.
- Cook, covered, over medium heat, for 20 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve.
WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE
Eggplants and mushrooms have a hearty, earthy heft to them, making them a great stand-in for the traditional beef, especially in the summer when eggplants are in season and you’re looking for a lighter dish. This is also fabulous on pasta alternatives, such as spaghetti squash.
Photo credit: Amy Neunsinger
