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This light and easy summery eggplant pasta sauce is a filling vegetarian meal that you’ll crave and make again! The gooey burrata nestled in the pasta and sauce takes this summer pasta dish to the next level!
You’ll also love my eggplant stacks, caponata, and eggplant parmigiana.
Why This Recipe Stands Out
The stars of the dish are the delicious in-season eggplant and tomatoes. This recipe is similar to pasta alla norma- only easier! They are browned in olive oil with onion and garlic, then tossed with pasta and fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese. You can also serve it on top of Easy Polenta for a gluten-free variation. This is a tried and true recipe we make all summer in Sardinia!
I love light and easy pasta sauces in the summer, such as Cherry Tomato Pasta, Pasta with salsa fresca, or my Tortellini Pasta Salad.
Simple Ingredients
- Pasta variety of choice (I love rigatoni)
- Eggplants
- Fresh cherry tomatoes ( Heirloom tomatoes or canned cherry tomatoes)
- Onion
- Fresh garlic
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fresh rosemary, keep on stem (or one teaspoon dried rosemary)
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste
- Basil for garnish and extra flavor
- Optional: freshly grated parmigiano (parmesan cheese) or burrata cheese for serving. (Check out my post on mozzarella vs burrata for more info!)
Varitions
- Use this sauce in place of Sugo al Pomodoro (Classic Italian Tomato Sauce) to make baked ziti, it comes out delicious!
- If you’re not a fan of eggplant skin, you can peel it before cooking.
- If you prefer canned tomatoes, use those!
- Add some red pepper flakes for a spicy kick or oregano for a twist.
- Roasted eggplant in the oven, the traditional way, for a more robust flavor.
- Add pecorino romano
Do You Have To Soak Eggplant Before Cooking?
No! Try this instead:
- Tired of salting and waiting for eggplant to “sweat” before cooking? Try this faster, low-sodium trick: Microwave it! Just slice or cube the eggplant, place it on a plate lined with paper towels, and microwave on high for 5 minutes. This draws out excess moisture without salt and saves time.
- Alternative to the microwave- roast your cut eggplant, unseasoned, for 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. This will dry them slightly and make them perfect for the sauce.
- Perfect for avoiding watery dishes—especially in pasta sauces—without the extra sodium.
How To Make Eggplant Tomato Sauce
This is a step-by-step photo overview of the recipe; the full instrcutions are in the recipe card below.
Step#1: Place eggplant cubes in a microwave-safe dish and cover with three paper towels. Cook on high for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Step #2: In a large sauté pan or large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and rosemary. Cook one minute to release fragrance.
Step #3: Add the eggplant and tomatoes. Cook on medium heat until golden brown and soft. Remove the rosemary sprig and discard.
Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water. Cook pasta until ‘al dente’ directions before straining the pasta. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water and set aside.
Step #4: As soon as the eggplant mixture is done cooking, turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta and a bit of the pasta cooking water and stir to combine.
Step #5: If needed, add a little of the pasta water to make a thicker sauce. Drizzle olive oil on top, and serve hot or at room temperature.
Step #6: Lastly, we add globs of fresh mozzarella (burrata or ricotta salata also work) to create the perfect cheese pockets in the sauce. This pasta dish is a marriage made in summer ingredient heaven!
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tips
- Microwave the eggplant to remove excess moisture quickly—no salting needed.
- Cook eggplant in batches for golden edges; don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Use good-quality olive oil, but not too much—eggplant soaks it up!
- Sauté aromatics first (onion, garlic, rosemary) for a deeper flavor base.
- Reserve pasta water to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the noodles.
- Add cheese last—burrata or mozzarella melts beautifully into the warm pasta.
- Peel eggplant if preferred—especially for a softer texture or picky eaters.
FAQ’s
Yes—make the sauce 1–2 days in advance to deepen the flavor. It also freezes beautifully. Thaw overnight for best results.
Absolutely! Good-quality canned tomatoes (whole or diced) are ideal—fresh tomatoes can work too, but canned offer better consistency
Storage Instructions
You can store this eggplant pasta sauce the same way you would any other sauce – put it in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-5 days. This recipe will freeze well and stay in the freezer for a few months.
More Italian Pasta Recipes
Looking for more pasta recipes? Check these out.
More Recipes for you…
Delicious Italian Inspired Summer Recipes
Italian Frittata Recipe with Spinach
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Eggplant Pasta Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound short pasta variety of choice
- 2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 pints (about 24 oz) cherry tomoates or small grape tomaotes
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, keep on stem (or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup burrata cheese, cut or torn into piece
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, for garnish
- optional: freshly grated parmigiano for serving
Instructions
- Place eggplant in a microwave safe dish and cover with three paper towels. Cook on high for 5 minutes. Pat to absorb any excess water. Remove and set aside.
- In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, and rosemary. Cook one minute to release fragrance. Add eggplant and tomatoes. Cook about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown, slightly charred, and soft. Remove rosemary sprig and discard.
- Meanwhile boil a large pot of water. Add salt to season water and cook pasta until 'al dente' directions. Before straining the pasta reserve 1/4 cup pasta water and set aside.
- As soon as eggplant mixture is done cooking turn off heat, season with salt and pepper. Add cooked pasta and stir to combine- tossing in the hot pan. If needed add a little of the pasta water to make more of a sauce.
- Place the pasta on a serving platter and nestle in pieces of the burrata cheese into the warm pasta. Add a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle the crushed red pepper flakes on top of the pasta and serve warm. Optional: add freshly grated parmigiano cheese. Great as leftovers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can not find the recipe- thanks for help with this
Hi! There has been a glitch with the recipe card for this post only- so weird! It is fixed now!
I’m so sorry but I’ve been up and down this page and I can’t find the recipe card for this. Is there something I’m missing?
Thanks, Emie
There seemed to be a temporary issue with some browsers! It is now up and running for ALL. Enjoy.
Elena, I can’t find the recipe. When I click “Jump to Recipe” it doesn’t show the ingredients and measures, as usual, in your other recipes. I also scrolled down trying to find it with no success.
Could you please check this..?? Thanks 🙂
The recipe card is right above where you left this comment. I can see it fine on my end like normal- please let me know if you still don’t see it. Thanks!
I love eggplant except I do not own a microwave, removing toxins from my home. Is there a way to just roast in the oven and if so, how long would you recommend and how long?
Hi! Yes, you can just cook at 350 for about 10-15 minutes!
This is one of my favorite pasta recipes. I love eggplant and this is such a great simple sauce for me to make and enjoy! My son who hates most veggies loves this one too, so this one is great for eggplant doubters :)))
Ha! I love that your son loved it as well and it is packed with yummy veggies. Enjoy all summer long.
We make this recipe often and the kids love it!