This easy eggplant pasta bake with chickpeas is vegan, low in fat, packed full of goodness and absolutely delicious! It's also one of the easiest to make one pot pasta dishes you'll ever find!
Ingredients
This easy eggplant pasta bake is made using tinned tomatoes and chickpeas (so it's quick and uncomplicated), in addition to the eggplant (aubergine). Plus a few extras, such as seasoning, oil etc. Very simple. I didn't use any spices other than paprika (smoked paprika is especially tasty in this recipe) and onion granules for a richer flavour.
Cooking all the ingredients together for 30 minutes infuses the dish with lots of flavour, so the sauce is rich and really delicious. I used a similar method in my recent recipe, Mediterranean inspired vegan butternut squash casserole. (Though I made it without the pasta).
This eggplant chickpea recipe is really super simple and easy to throw together. You won't need more than 20 minutes to prepare it and there'll be enough to feed 5 hungry people. I used quite a bit of tinned tomatoes so this pasta bake is beautifully cooked on the inside while the top gets nicely browned and caramelized.
Which is why a one pot bake is such a delicious way of enjoying a pasta dish.
Other one pot pasta recipes include tomato bean pasta bake, pasta bake with fennel as well as lentil lasagna with kale.
How to make eggplant pasta bake with chickpeas: step-by-step
1.Preheat the oven. In a large shallow pan heat up 3 tablespoons of oil and fry the garlic, onion and eggplant for about 15 minutes until softened. Stir often. Add the wine and cook for another minute. In the meantime boil the pasta in salted water with the bay leaf for 4 minutes (reserve the water from cooking).
2. Add the chickpeas (with the brine), tomatoes, seasoning, stir, cover and cook for 15 more minutes or until the eggplant is tender (fully cooked).
3. Add the precooked pasta, 200 ml of pasta water, give it a good stir and bake for 30 minutes.
4. Serve immediately.
Top tips
- Fry the eggplant (on a fairly low heat so it doesn't brown too quickly) until tender. It should be fully cooked before your pop your casserole in the oven.
- Extras: Use more spices or herbs if you like. I only used paprika but you could add chilli flakes for a bit of heat, oregano or basil.
- Best served immediately.
- Not suitable for freezing.
More vegetarian eggplant recipes
If you like this easy eggplant pasta bake you may also like my vegan eggplant casserole with beans. Another delicious, easy eggplant recipe is this aromatic spicy vegan eggplant tomato casserole.
Baked eggplant also makes a fantastic sauce ingredient. I used it in this smoky eggplant pepper pasta sauce recipe. Check out also this simple, delicious quinoa stuffed eggplant.
Check out also this collection of over 12 healthy vegetarian pasta meals.
Keep in touch!
If you've made this quick eggplant pasta bake I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
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Easy Eggplant Pasta Bake with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant/aubergine approx. weight 450-500g, cubed
- 210 g fusilli pasta reserve 200 ml of pasta water
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 400 g canned chickpeas including the brine
- 800 g canned chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 4 tbsp white wine
- 1½ tsp paprika smoked or sweet
- ⅔ tsp onion granules
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp fine sea salt plus plenty of pepper
Instructions
- Boil the pasta with the bay leaf in salted water for 4 minutes, strain and reserve ⅔ cup of the water (200 ml). Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F/ 190 C/ gas mark 5.
- While the pasta is cooking in a large shallow casserole dish (with a lid) heat up the oil, add the garlic, onion, eggplant and fry over a low/medium heat for about 15 minutes until softened stirring often. Add the wine and continue cooking for another minute.
- Add the chickpeas, including the brine, tomatoes, seasoning, cover and continue cooking for 15 more minutes, or until the eggplant is fully cooked.
- Add the pasta plus ⅔ cup of the water it cooked in (200 ml) and stir thoroughly. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Half way through drizzle with a bit more oil (optional).
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- Fry the eggplant (on a fairly low heat so it doesn't brown too quickly) until tender. It should be fully cooked before your pop your casserole in the oven.
- Use more spices or herbs if you like. I only used paprika but you could add chilli flakes for a bit of heat, oregano or basil.
- Best served immediately.
- Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about creatively simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make, healthy and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking. 
excellent! Made it with gluten free pasta and it came out great.
Thanks!
Thank you for letting me know! So glad it turned out ok for you!
This looks absolutely delicious! I love how easy it is to make and it would make a really healthy filling meal too.
Thank you Corina, I find simple food the most delicious. With complicated dishes expectations can be high - after all you've put so much effort into making it. But with easy dishes it can often take you by surprise that something so simple can be so delicious!
Your pasta sounds delicious Monika and I love the rich tomato sauce plus the fact you added chickpeas. Beans and pulses work so well with pasta!
Thank you Jo!
yes please it looks delicious. Im going away in a few days but when i get back its on the menu for a midweekmeal. Thank you dfor linking to #CookBlogShare
Thanks Jacqui! I hope you like it.