The warm rainy weather continues to refill our ponds. Look no further for your next dinner idea. This apple pasta recipe is quick and easy to make. It’s a great way to use fresh herbs and veggies from your local farm market. Give this light and healthy dish packed full of flavor a try this summer. If you make too much, no worries, because it is a yummy left over.
This dish is vegan, but it really doesn’t have to be. Make it vegetarian with some fresh grated parmesan cheese or really go for it by adding crispy bacon. If you use brown rice pasta or just wild rice you can create a gluten free version.
The beauty of this dish is you do not have to follow the recipe exactly. It’s a great opportunity to experiment and be flexible by using up what’s in the fridge. For example, I didn’t have onion so I used up my scallions, it was good, but onions would have tasted better.
In a really large frying pan with a lid add some oil and set to medium heat. For right now keep the lid off. Slice up the onion into long thin pieces and add to oil.
Peel and chop the eggplant into bite size pieces and add to pan. Eggplant loves oil and salt. Add some salt and you may need to add more oil as the eggplant absorbs it. Put the lid on so that the eggplant steams and softens.
Chop up the apple into bite size chunks or if they are a bit smaller that’s ok. This is yet another opportunity for the apple peel challenge and to use Charles’ slicing method. Add to pan and keep the lid on while occasionally stirring until eggplant is softened.
Now is a good time to get water boiling for your pasta. If you are making bacon you can use a broiler pan in the oven or microwave or stove top, but get that going so it’s nice and crisp.
Remember to keep occasionally stirring your eggplant mixture and adding oil. You want it to be cooking and maybe browning a bit, but not burning. If you haven’t already done so drain and rinse your beans. FYI they make beans with no artificial preservatives. Kombu Seaweed actually helps to make you not so gassy when eating beans.
Chop up your scallions, rosemary and fresh parsley. Mix in with the eggplant and cover again. If your water is boiling and you are good at multi-tasking cook the pasta and keep an eye on the bacon.
Add a few handfuls of greens on top and cover again. Fresh local greens are ideal, but Olivia’s Power Blend is pretty tasty and a good thing to keep on hand. When the eggplant is mushy and the greens wilted uncover and turn heat down to low. Give the mixture a taste and add more salt if desired and the perfect amount of pepper. When it is seasoned to your liking add the beans.
Hurds Apple Sauce is an easy way to add flavor and moisture to this pasta dish. It complements the apples and will give this dish a hint of sweet without adding sugar, since our apple sauce is no sugar added. The recipe calls for ¼ cup of Hurds Apple Sauce. You may want to add more or less depending on how saucy your dish is already and what it tastes like. Now is a good time to take a bite. Be careful when stirring in the sauce, so that the beans don’t turn to mush.
By now your pasta and bacon should be done. If you have any picky eaters you can keep some pasta plain with maybe a bit of butter or ghee.
Toss the pasta and eggplant mixture together in a large bowl. Give it a taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Top with grated cheese or bacon if you would like. Or keep the dish vegan and up the protein with hemp seeds or walnuts.
Ingredients
Olive Oil
1 small onion yellow or maybe Vidalia
2 medium eggplants
4 apples
A few handfuls of baby greens like spinach and kale
Scallion
Fresh parsley
Fresh rosemary
1 can white kidney cannellini beans
¼ cup Hurds Apple Sauce
Salt
Pepper
1 pound of rigatoni or penne
Non-Detailed Process:
In a large frying pan with a lid on medium heat combine oil, thinly sliced onion, peeled and chopped eggplant, some salt, peeled and chopped apple, minced scallions and herbs, and baby greens.
While the above is cooking, make pasta and bacon (if you are adding bacon to this dish)
Keep covered until softened. You may need to add more oil. Make sure to keep stirring and adjust your temperature accordingly. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add rinsed drained beans and apple sauce.
Toss with pasta. Top with cheese and/or bacon if desired.
We would love to hear how you liked this recipe. Let us know right here in our blog or via social media. Bon Appetit!