Our girls love pasta, and so do we. We like to swap out pasta for a vegetable based option. We particularly like chickpea pasta and the benefits of the added protein. The eggplant, mint and feta were a delicious addition to this dish. Our girls preferred it without the mint and feta, which easy to leave off.
Pro tip: Add ground turkey or beef if you would like to add some animal protein.
Ingredients
- 2 Japanese Eggplant Diced
- 1-½ cup Mint Leaved & Roughly Chopped
- 1 Lemon Juiced & Zested
- 2 cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 8 oz pkg Chickpea Rotini Pasta
- ½ cup Feta Cheese Crumbled
Seasoning
- 1-½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 DegF.
- Dice Eggplant and place into a medium bowl. Combine Eggplant, Olive Oil, Smoked Paprika and ½ teaspoon Salt stir until mixed throughout. Spread Eggplant mixture onto a lined rimmed baking sheet and then roast until Eggplant is tender and appears golden brown (approximately 20 mins)
- While Eggplant is roasting, place Rotini into boiling salted water and cook per package instructions until al dente. Preserve ¾ cup of pasta water and dump into blender, then drain remaining water through a colander.
Add mint leaves, ½ teaspoon Salt and Lemon Zest and blend until Puréed.
PRO TIP: Don't try this in a food processor unless you want the pasta water all over yourself and the walls of your kitchen. Speaking from personal experience. - Add 1 tablespoon Olive Oil and garlic to the bottom of the original pot. Cook until you can smell the garlic (approximately 1 minute), then return the pasta. Add the roast Eggplant, Lemon Juice and Mint/Lemon Zest mixture and stir until mixed throughout. Add crumbled feta and then serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 505mg | Potassium: 340mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 467IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @FamilyPlates and #FamilyRecipes
Adapted from "Rotini with Smoky Eggplant, Mint, and Feta" found within Supermarket Healthy by Melissa D'Arabian
