Eggplant Bolognese
Published July 24, 2024
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Greg Lofts.
- Total Time
- 1¼ hours
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 55 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound Italian eggplant, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch pieces (4 packed cups)
6 ounces cremini (or white button) mushrooms, finely chopped (2 cups)
½ cup finely chopped white onion
½ cup finely chopped carrot
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups mushroom broth (or vegetable stock)
1 cup canned whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 basil sprig, plus chopped basil for garnishing
1 pound rigatoni, fusilli or other short pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
102 grams carbs; 20 milligrams cholesterol; 759 calories; 17 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 30 grams fat; 11 grams fiber; 1376 milligrams sodium; 22 grams protein; 12 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
- Step 2
In a large Dutch oven or other heavy lidded pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high. Add half of the eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, 5 minutes. Transfer eggplant to a plate. Adjust heat to medium and repeat with 2 tablespoons of the oil and the remaining eggplant, transferring the eggplant to the plate.
- Step 3
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the mushrooms to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally to scrape up any browned bits, until golden, 5 minutes. Add onion and carrot, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 3 minutes. Adjust heat to low, add garlic and tomato paste and stir until caramelized, about 2 minutes.
- Step 4
Stir in broth, tomatoes, oregano, basil sprig and the browned eggplant, then bring to a boil over medium-high. Cover, adjust heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very tender, 15 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring and mashing half of the eggplant, until sauce is thickened, 2 minutes.
- Step 5
While the sauce comes to a boil, drop pasta in the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Step 6
Add pasta, butter and ½ cup of the pasta water to the eggplant mixture and cook, stirring vigorously, until pasta is nicely coated and mixture is saucy, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 7
Divide pasta among bowls. Top with chopped basil and cheese; serve warm.
Private Notes
Comments
This recipe seemed a bit underwhelming when I taste-tested it at the cooking time specified in the recipe. I've been letting it gently simmer for an extra hour or so; it's thickening up beautifully and developing a lovely rich flavor with the extra time.
I thought it was a bit bland at first, but the more I ate, the better I liked it. Still think it could benefit by the addition of a wee bit of red pepper flakes at the end of Step 3. As usual, the prep and cooking times given are wildly optimistic. I am not a slow moving cook, and it took me twice as long to prepare this dish. Wish the Times would get honest about prep and cooking times.
Instead of peeling and simmering the eggplant, I cut it in 1/2 inch pieces, tossed it with olive oil, and roasted it at 350 for half an hour, tossing once half way through. It added a lovely rich flavor and preserved all of the nutritional value. Also, I used about 1/2 the amount of liquid called for and cooked it longer once everything was in the pot. A big hit.
This pasta Alla Norma was gorgeous, although I’d skip the prosciutto and add more salt. 🧂
Great recipe-took some suggestions from comments, baked the eggplant, deglazed with red wine, added a parmagean rind and more basil. Have made it a few times, we love it!
I did not have high hopes for this when I had everything first simmering. I followed what some reviewers said and simmered it longer while I made some chicken to go with it. I just found it a tad salty, I guess I was too liberal with the salt at each step. So, I thought it was ok but my family really liked it. If I try it again I’ll make it longer in advance, use better quality tomatoes and homemade broth, and go a bit easier on the salting. Oh, near the end I went at it with a potato masher and it really did have a meaty bolognese texture!