Penne with Tomatoes, Eggplant and Mozzarella

nce summer's warm rays have subsided to fall's frosty mornings, I immediately start missing garden-fresh tomatoes. Thankfully, day 2 of Real Simple's plan brings us this incredibly flavorful (and easy!) dish:

TUESDAY:



Penne with Tomatoes, Eggplant and Mozzerella

Serves 4 (I halved the recipe so I'd have leftovers for lunch tomorrow)

Hands-on Time: 30m

Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

* 1/2 pound penne (1⁄2 box)
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1 medium eggplant (about 1 1⁄4 pounds), cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
* 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
* 2 cloves garlic, sliced
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
* 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

3. Add the eggplant. Cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes, garlic, red pepper, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cook, tossing, until the tomatoes soften, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add the tomato mixture to the pasta, along with the mozzarella and reserved cooking water. Toss to combine. Sprinkle with the mint.

Tip

If you have kalamata olives (or any black or green olives, pitted and halved) on hand, toss in ¼ cup when you add the tomato mixture to the pasta.

Nutritional Information

Calories 533; Fat 28g; Sat Fat 10g; Cholesterol 40mg; Sodium 539mg; Protein 20g; Carbohydrate 53g; Sugar 7g; Fiber 7g; Iron 3mg; Calcium 336mg