Penne with Vodka and Eggplant – vegan!

With this penne with vodka and eggplant you have a recipe for an easy, but super tasty pasta dish. And not only that, but the recipe is also completely plant-based! Don't you necessarily eat vegan? Then a piece of grated Pecorino Romano during serving provides even more flavor.

Pasta with tomato sauce and aubergine has always been my favorite preparation. And guess what… even the Italian in-laws approve of my version! You can't imagine a better compliment, right?

Why vodka in the pasta?

You can't taste the vodka in this pasta dish. And — of course — it won't get you tipsy either. With one shot glass on a whole pan of sauce that is also cooked for a while, you don't have to worry that it contains a substantial amount of alcohol. The vodka is purely for mixing the rest of the ingredients together. Are you really not allowed to drink alcohol for religious reasons? Then just replace it with a little water. Don't worry!

This recipe is for 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 500 g pasta of your choice (I used penne)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 350ml tomato puree
• 1 can (350 ml) diced tomatoes
• a small can (70 gr) tomato paste
• 1 large eggplant, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• a crumbled stock cube (vegetable)
• 1 clove of garlic, pressed
• 1 small carrot, grated
• ½ tsp paprika
• a pinch of cayenne pepper, for extra spice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 shot glass of vodka
• 2 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
• optional (not vegan): a piece of grated Pecorino Romano

Preparation of the penne with vodka and aubergine

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onion, garlic and aubergine. Add the grated carrot and let it cook for a few minutes until the onion is translucent.

Now add the passata, tomato paste and diced tomatoes to the pan and stir well. Then add the vodka and the crumbled stock cube to the sauce. Now put the lid on the pan and let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes on a very low heat.

Finally, season the sauce with the paprika, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package 'al dente' and drain the (salted!) water. Mix the sauce with the pasta and spoon the pasta into deep plates. Garnish the penne with parsley and, if desired, some grated Pecorino. Enjoy your dinner!

Also try…

Do you love pasta dishes? Then try our vegan pasta with paprika cream sauce or this one Caribbean Tjauw Mien

Summary

Recipe Name

Penne with vodka and aubergine

Author Name

Jurino Ignacio

Published On

2022-03-18

Preparation Time

0H20M

Cook Time

0H20M

Total Time

0H40M

Average Rating

5 based on 1641 Review (s)