Eggplant Puttanesca
Eggplant puttanesca is a perfect blend of tender eggplant, spicy red pepper flakes, and salty olives and capers, with a slight touch of sweetness from the sauce. It’s absolutely a meal to fulfill all your senses, leaving you wanting more!
It’s been years since I’ve had eggplant, and I’m so glad I gave this Eggplant Puttanesca recipe a try. Both hearty and healthy, this eggplant pasta sauce is absolutely delicious!
This is a warm and cozy eggplant pasta meal with a rustic feel that I love. Ready in 30 minutes with only 8 ingredients, it makes an easy vegan weeknight meal the whole family will love. And the leftovers are even better!
To add a little freshness to your pasta meal, this Vegan Caesar Salad is a perfect starter or side to eggplant puttanesca with pasta!
Ingredient Notes
Eggplant is simmered with onion, olives, capers, and tomato sauce, creating a wonderfully flavorful and hearty eggplant pasta sauce that’s perfect with your favorite pasta.
Here is everything you’ll need:
- Olive oil – Use your preferred neutral-tasting oil. For oil-free, use water for water saute option.
- Onion – Use white, yellow, or red.
- Eggplant – Look for the freshest produce.
- Pasta sauce – Use jarred or make this easy marinara sauce.
- Olives – Use kalamata, green, or a medley.
- Capers – These little pickled flower buds, add an extra layer of briny flavor but can be omitted.
- Red pepper flakes – Add just a touch of heat, use more or less to taste.
- Pasta – Use penne, rigatoni, rotini, elbow, etc.
Feel like adding a little garlic, add 2 – 3 minced garlic cloves with the eggplant and onion.
How To Make Eggplant Puttanesca
This eggplant puttanesca recipe is so easy to make and will be ready for the table in about 30 minutes!
- Simply saute the onion and eggplant, add the pasta sauce, olives, capers, and red pepper flakes, and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. The sauce is ready when the eggplant is fully tender.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta, once done, combine the pasta with the sauce.
- Serve with chopped basil and almond parmesan.
And that’s it, this hearty eggplant puttanesca with pasta is seriously delicious!
Serving Suggestions
This savory eggplant pasta dish is great as is, but can be made even tastier with a little help from any of these suggestions.
- Topping: Top with a light dusting of Almond Parmesan and chopped basil.
- Bread: Pair with fresh homemade Artisan Bread, breadsticks, or soft and chewy Vegan Naan.
- Salad: Serve with a portion of this Vegan Caesar Salad or a simple leafy green salad with Healthy Flax & Evo Balsamic Vinaigrette.
- Soup: Serve with a side of Vegan Minestrone Soup or Vegetable Quinoa Soup.
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container.
- Freezer: This eggplant puttanesca is freezer-friendly and freezes well for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer safe containers (affiliate link), leaving 1/4 inch head space for expansion. Let thaw before reheating.
- Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through, add a little sauce or water so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Alternatively, reheat in the microwave using 30 – 60 second intervals, stirring after each, until warm.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
If vegan pasta dishes are your thing, you must try this:
- Spinach and ‘Ricotta’ Vegan Stuffed Shells
- One-Pot Penne Pasta with Mushrooms & Sausage
- Spaghetti & Italian Vegan Meatballs
- Vegetable Vegan Lasagna
- Or see all vegan Italian recipes on TSV!
If you try this eggplant puttanesca recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
PrintEGGPLANT PUTTANESCA
An easy pasta dish with a flavorful blend of spicy from the pepper flakes, salty from the kalamata olives and slight touch of sweetness from the tomato sauce.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Entree, Pasta
- Method: simmer
- Cuisine: Vegan, Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or 1/4 cup water for water saute
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2 – 3/4 inch cubes
- 1 (25oz) jar pasta sauce (or homemade Marinara Sauce)
- 1/2 cup pitted olives (kalamata, green or greek)
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 16 oz. pasta of choice
Instructions
In large skillet/saute pan heat olive oil over medium heat, saute onion and eggplant until tender, about 8 – 10 min. Add sauce, olives, capers, red pepper flakes, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 – 20 min. Sauce is ready when eggplant is fully tender.
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Serve eggplant sauce over pasta with a light dusting of Almond Parmesan over top. Pairs well with a slice of crusty bread.
Serves 6
Notes
If you like a little garlic, add 2 – 3 cloves, minced, when sauteing the eggplant and onion.
This is a delicious pasta meal! Simple, yet comforting and flavorful! There’s nothing to not like about this dish! Plus, the instructions are clear and easy to read!
I used kalamata olives. The brininess is absolutely delicious with all the ingredients!
Delicious, made a ton so I froze some for later. Yum!
Can I use zucchini instead of eggplant?
Sure, the zucchini doesn’t take as long to cook as eggplant so adjust accordingly. Do let us know how it turns out! Enjoy :)
Very nice! Thanks. I added garlic, chervil and some wine to the sauce, cooked it low for a few hours (added water a couple of times). Real puttanesca flavors.
This was delicious and definitely simple. I will definitely make it again.
Hi, how do you prepare the eggplant for sautéing?
Hi Carol, I simply wash and dry them, then cut them into 1/2 inch cubes before cooking. Many recipes suggest to salt the eggplant and let it rest before cooking, but there is no need to do that as it really doesn’t do much according to Epicurious. Enjoy, it’s a great recipe!
Is the sauce freezable?
Looks yummy!
Yes, this sauce is freezable. Enjoy, and let me know what you think! :)
Also made a ton served over rigatoni. Eggplant from our garden with sauce made from our garden as well (roma tomatoes, garlic, oregano, basil and parsley all organically grown). Amazingly delicious recipe. The sweetness of the sauce is complimented by the saltiness of the capers and olives and then boom, the crushed red pepper finishes it off. Make sure to enjoy with some warm crusty bread. Freezing some for a hearty winter meal.
So tasty! I’m the only one in my house who will eat something like this, but that’s ok! It’s delicious and easy to make.