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 monounsaturated 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.
I have the flu and wanted something relatively simple and pasta-ey to eat, since nothing really sounds good. So as the dinner hour approached and my eyes fell upon the dismaying number of eggplants spilling out of my CSA box, I searched “eggplant pasta”, and this recipe was the first hit. Ok, sure, why not. I had—or thought I had—all the ingredients on hand, down to a burgeoning crop of dill and mint. Imagine my chagrin when I discovered that somehow I have allowed myself to run out of cumin. I blame my flu-addled brains for the idea, but I saw a bottle of Berbere seasoning in my spice cabinet and decided that it would be a perfect substitute for the indicated spices. Reader, it is in fact delicious! I used about two teaspoons of berbere seasoning and otherwise followed the recipe to the letter. Really good. Now if only I had someone to do all these dishes…
Absolutely delicious. Creamy and refreshing at the same time. I doubled the eggplant and I did roast it. I will save this recipe and make it on repeat.
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.