Roasted Fennel and Eggplant Linguine
Ingredients
- 1 medium/12 oz/350g globe eggplant or 2-3 Italian eggplants
- 1 bulb/325g fennel root
- 3 medium/1 lb/450g tomatoes
- 5 large cloves garlic sliced
- 3 tbsp/45ml olive oil
- 1 tsp/2g smoked paprika
- 3/4 tsp/4g salt
- 1/2 tsp/1g crushed red pepper flakes
- 12 oz/350g linguine or other long pasta like spaghetti, pappardelle, or bucatini
- Chopped fresh parsley
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400° F/200 C. Have an oven proof pan ready (cast iron or anything else that can transfer stove top to oven). See Notes
- Peel the garlic, leaving the cloves whole (do not crush). Slice thinly (1/8”/3mm or less).
- Slice the fennel in half and cut a triangle to remove most of the tough root base. Slice the blub into very thin (less than ¼”/6mm) sections.
- Cut tomatoes into wedges. Slice eggplant into wedges about 1/2”/12mm thick and 2”/5cm long.
- Heat the oil in a large, oven proof pan on medium. Add the garlic.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly until golden brown. Remove the garlic from the pan but keep the oil.
- Toss the eggplant and fennel in the garlic infused oil. Layer on the tomatoes.
- Sprinkle the paprika, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes over everything.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and fragrant but still mostly hold their shape.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle on the fried garlic.
- Cook linguine to al dente according to package directions. Drain well.
- Toss the linguine with the roasted vegetables and chopped fresh parsley.
- Roasted vegetables should be stored separately if meal prepping or roasting in advance. Heat and toss with fresh pasta
Notes
Texture/taste Notes: A simple roasted vegetable pasta with eggplant, fennel root, and tomatoes. This fragrant vegan pasta meal is easy to make, loaded with fresh, roasted late summer vegetables and garnished with fried garlic chips. Easy to make, especially if you use one pan from stove top to oven (also includes sheet pan instructions). Great for low effort meals with most of the cooking happening in the oven.
Pan vs Baking sheet: If you do not have a large enough pan, a parchment or foil lined baking sheet can be used in the oven. Instead, fry the garlic in a separate pan and reserve the oil per directions. Lay out the eggplant and fennel on a line baking sheet and drizzle the reserved oil evenly over them. Toss to coat well before adding the tomatoes and spices.