Marina’s Farmers’ Market Pasta

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I love shopping at the local farmers' markets and farms! It's becoming easier to find fresh, local produce nearly anywhere on Long Island. I created the following recipe the other week when I simply didn't know what to do with the eggplant I had laying around. I kept throwing in other ingredients, and soon enough I had a great dinner in front of me!Image




I used:

  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup finely diced pancetta (or bacon)
  • 2 medium Italian eggplants, finely chopped (skin intact)
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes)
  • a few leaves of basil chiffonade
  • Cooked linguini or fresh, tagliatelle
  1. Drizzle about 1 Tbsp olive oil into a large pan (not non-stick) on medium-low heat. Add the onions into the pan, and the garlic on top of the onions (to prevent the garlic from burning). Cook slowly for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the pancetta, or bacon. Cook 8-10 minutes, or until all the fat is rendered and the pan is coated with brown bits (yumm).
  3. Add the eggplant. Mix well and cook for another 10 minutes.Image
  4. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan. Stir well to incorporate all the flavor from those brown pieces. Add 1/2 cup of water or stock to the pan. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
  5. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
  6. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of your best olive oil on the sauce, and sprinkle the basil.
  7. At this point, you want to add the pasta which should have JUST finished cooking to al dente (save some pasta water to the side)
  8. Toss the pasta with your beautiful sauce and let the flavors combine for another minute or two on low heat. If the pasta looks dry, add in some of the pasta water you saved. Add any salt & pepper if needed. (I serve mine with a sprinkle of cheese)

*A meal like this should include about 1 cup of pasta and 1 cup of the vegetable sauce. Don't overload on the carbohydrates!

This dish has all of the flavors of summer. It takes a little more time to make, so you can make some fresh pasta in the meantime, or make it with a friend over some red wine and olives šŸ˜‰

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Marina Bedrossian is a Northport, NY dietitian nutritionist who helps people with holistic nutrition solutions and food sensitivities. Visit this page to schedule an appointment and donā€™t forget to join the private Facebook group ā€œIngredients For Healthy Familiesā€ more information here.