This eggplant pasta sauce features roasted eggplant cooked in a rich tomato sauce along with naturally sweet red bell pepper for an extra flavour twist. It's a delicious, satisfying, 'meaty' vegetarian dish, perfect to serve with your favourite pasta.

Top down view of eggplant pasta sauce with pasta in blue bowl.

This eggplant pasta sauce is a delicious alternative to eggplant pasta bake as well as eggplant and bean stew. These tomato-based Mediterranean-style meals draw inspiration from dishes, such as Sicilian 'pasta alla norma' as well as Turkish 'soslu patlican'. Unlike many traditional eggplant dishes, which often contain a lot of oil this low-calorie eggplant recipe requires only 2 tablespoons of oil.

My Mediterranean-inspired eggplant pasta sauce also contains red pepper for added sweetness (see also roasted pepper pasta). It involves roasting the eggplant along with the pepper and garlic (this produces more flavour!) then combining these with an easy tomato sauce, which only takes 10 minutes to cook. You can adjust the texture to suit your taste and serve this roasted eggplant tomato sauce with your favourite pasta (see tips below).

Eggplant pasta sauce ingredients and substitutions

Eggplant: ensure it's firm and without soft, greyish spots.
Canned tomatoes: use tomato passata instead, if desired.
Sundried tomatoes.
Red bell pepper.
Red onion: you can use any onion.
Garlic: adjust the amount to your taste.
White wine: if you prefer to omit it you could add a little balsamic vinegar into the sauce instead (approx. 1-1.5 tsp).
Paprika: use either sweet, smoked or hot. Alternatively use a bit of each.
Italian herbs: or oregano.
Garlic powder.
Olive oil.
Sea salt and pepper to taste.

How to prepare the eggplant

To make this easy roasted eggplant pasta sauce all you have to do is cut the eggplant in half, coat with a little oil, season and roast until nicely brown and tender. There is no need to 'sweat' the eggplant or soak in water beforehand.

TIP: Make sure your eggplant is firm, smooth and shiny (it will have fewer seeds and less bitterness).

What pasta to use

Robust, rich tomato-based sauces generally pair well with large pasta shapes and this eggplant tomato sauce is no exception. If you want a chunky texture (as in the photos) use fusilli, penne, rigatoni or another, similar pasta shape. If you prefer a smooth sauce consistency you can also use long pasta shapes such as tagliatelle, linguine and spaghetti. See my tips on adjusting the consistency of the sauce at the bottom of the post.

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F/180 fan/gas mark 6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cook pasta: Boil the pasta in salted water according to package instructions (I recommend al dente). Drain and reserve ½ cup (120ml) of pasta water. Set aside.

3. Roast vegetables: Place the eggplant halves, cut sides up, on top of the baking sheet. Brush with a little oil (approx. 1 tablespoon), season lightly with salt and pepper and add the garlic powder. Roast in the centre of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, add the garlic cloves and red pepper, skin side up. Return to the oven for 20-25 more minutes (until the eggplant is nicely browned and tender).

Top down view of 2 roasted eggplant halves, garlic cloves and roasted red peppers on parchment.

4. Chop vegetables: Chop the eggplant into small chunks. Peel the pepper and garlic and finely chop. Set aside.

5. Make sauce base: In a large pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil, add the onion and cook gently for 3 minutes stirring often. Add the sundried tomatoes and garlic and cook for another minute then add the wine and continue cooking for a minute or so.

Chopped red onion and sundried tomatoes in large pan.

6. Cook sauce: Add the eggplant, red pepper, canned tomatoes, paprika and herbs. Stir and add about ½ cup (120ml) of pasta water. Add about ⅔ teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Chunks of roasted eggplant, chopped red pepper and onion in large pan.

Thick eggplant tomato sauce in large pan.

7. Serve: Remove from the heat and adjust the flavour if needed. Using an immersion blender partly blend the sauce (see more suggestions below) and serve with the pasta.

Top down view of chunky eggplant pasta sauce in large pan.

Serving suggestions

I served my roasted eggplant pasta sauce with finely chopped fresh basil, parmesan (I used vegetarian), red pepper flakes and a drizzle of oil. It's delicious served with garlic bread, but also goes well with chicken (for a non-vegetarian option) or grilled halloumi cheese for added protein, if you prefer to serve it vegetarian.

How to adjust the texture

I like to use an immersion blender to partly blend the sauce so it still has a chunky texture but the flavours are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. However, you can also puree the sauce until smooth and creamy, if you prefer. Alternatively, puree the roasted pepper with the canned tomatoes and add that into the sauce (but leave the eggplant pieces intact).

Top down view of chunky eggplant in tomato sauce with herbs on top in pan.

What to make ahead

Boil pasta: drain, rinse briefly under cold water and set aside to cool. Stir through a little oil, cover and refrigerate. Reheat in the microwave.
Roast vegetables: once cooled cover and refrigerate overnight. Make the sauce and assemble the recipe the following day.
Entire sauce from start to finish: once cooled cover and refrigerate. Serve with freshly boiled pasta.

Top tips

Use firm eggplant that's smooth and shiny.
To save time boil the pasta while the vegetables are in the oven.
Best served hot with your favourite pasta. I recommend large pasta shapes, such as penne, fusilli or rigatoni.
Refrigerate leftover eggplant and tomato sauce for up to 3 days. To serve reheat the sauce then combine with freshly cooked pasta.
Freeze for up to 3 months.

See also these other easy, delicious vegetarian mains including this collection of vegetarian pasta meals.

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make this eggplant tomato pasta sauce recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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Roasted Eggplant Tomato Pasta Sauce