Spiced Tomato and Eggplant Pasta
Updated February 23, 2026
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal
⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large eggplant (about 1¼ pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
6 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste, preferably double-concentrated
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes (see Tips)
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
3 tablespoons finely chopped mint (or dill), plus leaves for serving
1 pound rigatoni pasta, or another large pasta shape
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
73 grams carbs; 5 milligrams cholesterol; 516 calories; 13 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 873 milligrams sodium; 14 grams protein; 12 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Step 2
Heat ⅓ cup olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is softened and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Step 3
Add remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the same pot. Add ⅔ of the finely grated garlic (about 4 cloves’ worth), the cumin, coriander and crushed red pepper. Cook to toast the spices, 15 to 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until darker in color, about 3 minutes.
- Step 4
Add whole peeled tomatoes (including liquid), ½ cup water and 1 teaspoon salt and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot. Using a wooden spoon, crush the tomatoes until the sauce is mostly smooth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until sauce comes together, about 20 minutes.
- Step 5
In the meantime, make the yogurt sauce by combining the yogurt, finely chopped mint, remaining garlic (about 2 cloves’ worth) and ½ teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then chill until ready to serve.
- Step 6
Cook the pasta in the salted boiling water until 2 minutes less than al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
- Step 7
Add eggplant to the tomato sauce and continue to cook until eggplant is tender and warmed through, another 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer cooked pasta to sauce along with a ladle of reserved pasta water. Stir to coat and continue cooking until pasta is al dente, 2 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust to your preference.
- Step 8
Divide pasta among bowls and top with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the yogurt sauce and some more fresh mint leaves.
Use a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes instead of whole peeled tomatoes if you cannot find San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes.
Do Ahead: Eggplant and garlic can be prepared ahead, stored separately in airtight containers, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Eggplant can be sautéed up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Sauce can be entirely prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stovetop before adding pasta and pasta water. The mint yogurt can be prepared, without the salt, up to 2 days in advance, stored in an airtight container, and refrigerated until ready to serve; season with salt before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
Rather sauté the eggplant, I roasted it for 30 mins at 350 but made no other changes. Delicious!
This is a fabulous recipe. I roasted the cubed eggplant, with a handful of expiring grape tomatoes, ahead of time. The rest came together quickly and the flavors were superb. I had fresh dill for the yogurt and it was the perfect accent to the dish. Served it with a lovely Chianti and savored every bite.
@Andrea K.when I make rigatoni Norma I cube the eggplant and roast it with a small amount of olive oil.
We really enjoyed this. Followed recs from the comments and roasted the eggplant (homegrown!) first and halved the salt. I was a bit dubious about the mint yogurt with pasta, but it was perfect. I'll definitely be making it again.
This turned out really well for me. Like others, I roasted the eggplant cubes rather than sauteing - good idea. I minced the garlic rather than microplane it because I didn't want to dirty another tool, but that was a mistake, at least for the garlic that went in the mint yogurt sauce. Microplane would have ensured it melted into the sauce. Don't skip the yogurt sauce!
This recipe hit all the right notes. I did use the yogurt dressing and added dill instead of mint. I kept to the original recipe but just used 3/4 of the box of pasta. I had a medium- large eggplant and that is why using less pasta, made it more sauce to pasta exceptional!