Casarecce is just a fancy name for short, rolled up twists of pasta. You can use any shape of pasta you have on hand for this dish. The puree is also sooo great on it’s own! I have used it as a dip, as well as put it on grilled bread and sprinkled with Parmesan.

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, whole
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, optional
1 pound caserecce pasta, or any shape of pasta
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup or more grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to the pan and toss to combine. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes.

If using the pine nuts, while the vegetables are roasting, place the pine nuts in a small baking dish. Place in the oven on the rack below the vegetables. Roast until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10-12 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the torn basil leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Puree the vegetables. Transfer the pureed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta and add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cooking liquid 1/2 cup at a time until the pasta is saucy. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top and serve with extra Parmesan if desired.