blue border
  • recipes
  • resources
    • 11 Gluten-free Vegan Baking Mistakes and How To Fix Them
    • a chef’s top tips for faster cooking
    • How To Bake Gluten-free AND Vegan – Ingredients & Equipment
    • the perils of gluten-free vegan baking
  • reviews & recommendations
blue border
  • about
  • work with us
  • ebooks
    • guide to gluten-free vegan baking
    • Christmas Ebook

smoky eggplant puttanesca

by kylie.a.alla June 29, 2021
Jump to Recipe
smoky eggplant puttanesca

Gluten-free and vegan recipe for a rich, flavour packed, puttanesca pasta made with creamy charred eggplant. This smoky eggplant puttanesca is highly addictive and ready in just 30mins. 

What possessed me to add the flesh of a charred eggplant to puttanesca sauce? Well, if the omnivores can have anchovies, then I can have creamy, smoky eggplant!

 

Pasta puttanesca is a simple pasta sauce that celebrates all that is good and salty in this world; capers, olives, pasta water and in the non-vegan version, anchovies and parmesan. For this smoky eggplant puttanesca, I’m taking some liberties and replacing those poor wee fish and hard cheese with a flavour bomb of my own. Eggplant, charred within an inch of its life and silky soft skin removed to give the pasta sauce depth and creaminess.

 

The result is a rich, flavourful sauce that’s full of umami and highly addictive . . . you’ve been warned!

smoky eggplant puttanesca
What do you need to know before you make this recipe?

The easiest way to char a whole eggplant is on a gas hob and, if you don’t have a gas hob, you can use the grill in the oven instead, but it will take a little longer. The eggplant is ready when the skin is charred all over, and the eggplant is so soft it collapses. 

The easiest way to peel a charred eggplant is to transfer it to a bowl and cover it with a plate. This will steam the eggplant, and when it’s cool enough to handle, you’ll be able to easily remove the skin.

I’ve included all the additional notes for this smoky eggplant puttanesca pasta recipe at the bottom of the page with the hope of improving your experience here at blue border. If you found this useful, I’d love your support on Instagram, click here to follow.

smoky eggplant puttanesca

Smoky Eggplant Puttanesca

Print
Yield: 2 serves Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes
Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat
Rating: 5.0/5
( 1 voted )

ingredients

  • 1 eggplant 
  • 45g / 3 Tbsp. olive oil 
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper 
  • 1 Tbsp. capers 
  • 50g / ten large olives, pitted 
  • 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 
  • 400g / 14oz tin plum tomatoes 
  • 1 tsp. brown sugar 
  • ½ tsp. fine sea salt
  • 200g / 7oz gluten-free spaghetti

 

To serve

  • A small handle of basil or parsley, finely chopped

process

Char the eggplant directly on the flame of a gas hob at medium heat. Use metal tongs to turn the eggplant every few minutes until the skin is completely charred and the flesh is soft and cooked through (the eggplant will collapse when it’s ready). 

OR line an oven tray with foil and turn the oven grill to medium. Place the eggplant on the tray and roast the eggplant under the grill, turning every 5 minutes or so, until the skin of the eggplant is completely charred and the flesh is soft. 

 

Transfer the eggplant to a bowl and cover with a plate, set to one side.

 

While the eggplant is grilling start the puttanesca sauce and, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil for the pasta.

 

Add the oil, garlic and pepper to a wide-based frying pan and place on the hob at medium heat. After a minute or so, the oil will start to simmer, let the garlic cook in the heating oil for another 30secs to 1 minute, but do not let the garlic brown, or it will taste bitter. Add the capers, olives, tomato paste, tinned tomatoes, sugar and salt and simmer gently for 5-10mins.

 

Remove the stalky top of the eggplant, peel off the skin and discard. Roughly chop the smoky flesh of the eggplant and transfer it to the puttanesca sauce. Mix to combine and simmer for another 5-10mins.

 

Once the pasta water is boiling, add the spaghetti and cook according to the packet instructions. Save a cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.

 

Toss the spaghetti with the puttanesca sauce and add pasta water as you need it. The puttanesca sauce should cling to the spaghetti without being claggy. 

 

Serve topped with your choice of herb

Did You Make This Recipe?
I would love to hear how it went! Tag me on Instagram at @blue_border.

smoky eggplant puttanesca

NOTES: Smoky Eggplant Puttanesca Pasta

arrow

Ingredients Notes

Gluten-free Spaghetti 

I’ve found the best gluten-free kinds of pasta are the ones made from 100% brown rice flour. I used the Dove’s Farm Brown Rice Spaghetti but I also love the Rizopia gluten-free spaghetti.

 
Olives 

Traditionally pasta puttanesca is made with pitted kalamata olives. I ended up using spicy marinated green olives because that’s what I had in the pantry. Ultimately the choice is yours, but the better quality the olive, the better the sauce. 

 
Herbs 

Finely chopped parsley to serve is usually the herb of choice with puttanesca. I used basil, again, because that’s what I had to hand, but you do you, honey!

Recipe Questions

Can I skip the eggplant?

Yes, definitely. If you’d prefer to keep this dish simple and classic just leave the eggplant out. 

 

Can I use a different grilled vegetable? 

Yes, I originally tried this recipe with zucchini (a.k.a. courgette) as well as eggplant and love it. Ultimately I went with the eggplant to simplify the recipe but you can grill zucchinis in the same way as the eggplant and use them instead. Grilled red peppers will are also delish.

More Vegan & Gluten-free Pasta Recipe

spring veg baked feta pasta

by kylie.a.alla March 25, 2021
by kylie.a.alla March 25, 2021

vegan creamy mushroom pasta

by kylie.a.alla March 14, 2021
by kylie.a.alla March 14, 2021

beetroot gnocchi

by kylie.a.alla February 1, 2021
by kylie.a.alla February 1, 2021

lasagne

by kylie.a.alla January 4, 2021
by kylie.a.alla January 4, 2021
puttanesca
0 comment 0 FacebookPinterestEmail

You may also like

wild mushroom vegan skillet lasagna

roasted red pepper soup with garlic pita crisps

creamy corn and zucchini pasta

vegan sheet pan meatballs with spiced roasted veg

vegan kofta kebabs

maple mustard tahini roasted cauliflower

vegan puff pastry pizza

harissa and chickpea stew

vegan burrito bowls

vegan pot pie

search

find us

Facebook Instagram Pinterest Youtube

Instagram

navigation

  • recipes
  • Resources
  • Reviews & Recommendations
  • about
  • work with us

about

about

I'm Kylie and welcome to my little space on the web! blue border is an all-vegan and gluten-free recipe site with a particular focus on free-from baking and quick easy meals. Here you'll find recipes and resources for all eaters and every level of cook.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube

@2017 - all right reserved blue border


Back To Top
blue border
  • recipes
  • resources
    • 11 Gluten-free Vegan Baking Mistakes and How To Fix Them
    • a chef’s top tips for faster cooking
    • How To Bake Gluten-free AND Vegan – Ingredients & Equipment
    • the perils of gluten-free vegan baking
  • reviews & recommendations
blue border
  • about
  • work with us
  • ebooks
    • guide to gluten-free vegan baking
    • Christmas Ebook