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Pasta • Italian

Sautéed Eggplant Pasta with Smoked Mozzarella Recipe

Smokey, gooey cheese sautéed with tender eggplant and garlic and basil laced diced tomato sauce for a hearty vegetarian pasta dish that everyone will love.

4.8 from 156 votes
55 mins
Total Time
6
servings
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Sautéed Eggplant Pasta with Smoked Mozzarella

How to Make the Best Sautéed Eggplant Pasta with Smoked Mozzarella

This sautéed eggplant pasta with smoked mozzarella is a show-stopping vegetarian dish that proves you don’t need meat to create something truly memorable. The combination of smokey, melted cheese with tender eggplant and a fresh, herbaceous tomato sauce creates layers of flavor that will delight even the most devoted carnivores at your table.

The key to this recipe’s success lies in properly preparing the eggplant. By salting and pressing the cubes overnight, you remove excess moisture and intensify the eggplant’s natural flavors, ensuring they become perfectly tender and golden brown when sautéed. Meanwhile, preparing your tomato sauce ahead of time allows all those gorgeous basil, garlic, and wine flavors to deepen and meld together.

The final magic happens when everything comes together in the skillet—the smoky mozzarella melts into silky strands around the pasta, binding all the components into a cohesive, luxurious sauce. This is comfort food at its finest, elegant enough for entertaining yet simple enough for a weeknight dinner.

Sautéed Eggplant Pasta with Smoked Mozzarella

Sautéed Eggplant Pasta with Smoked Mozzarella

Smokey, gooey cheese sautéed with tender eggplant and garlic and basil laced diced tomato sauce for a hearty vegetarian pasta dish that everyone will love.

4.8 from 156 votes
CoursePasta
CuisineItalian
Keywordeggplant pasta, smoked mozzarella, italian vegetarian, smoked cheese pasta
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time55 mins
Servings6 servings
Calories662kcal
AuthorRare Ivy
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Ingredients

Eggplant

Tomato Sauce

Pasta and Assembly

Instructions

Prep

  1. Peel the eggplants and dice in ½ inch cubes. Spread the eggplant over a sheet tray lined with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Very generously salt the eggplant and cover with another clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Cover with another sheet tray and place in the fridge with heavy items on top of it overnight or to 48 hours.
  2. In a large bowl or container, combine the diced tomatoes, olive oil, white wine, salt, pepper, garlic, and basil. Cover and let it sit at least an hour or overnight for the best flavor.

Cook

  1. Set a large pot of water to boil. Season generously with salt. Cook the pasta according to the package directions or until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
  2. In a large skillet, heat ⅓ cup olive oil over medium high heat until it shimmers. Add the eggplant and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until browned, stirring every 2 minutes or so.
  3. Add the fresh diced tomato sauce to the pan and let it simmer for about 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol in the wine. Stir in the cooked pasta, smoked cheese, and ¼ to ½ cup of the reserved pasta water depending on how much liquid you would like your sauce to have. Sauté all the ingredients together, remove from heat, and serve immediately.

Notes

  • The eggplant needs to be salted and pressed overnight for best texture—don't skip this step.
  • Preparing the tomato sauce ahead of time allows the flavors to meld beautifully.
  • Use short pasta shapes like penne or rigatoni to hold the sauce better.
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