Eggplant Bolognese

Name: Eggplant Bolognese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: Salt and pepper; 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 pound Italian eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (4 packed cups); 6 ounces cremini (or white button) mushrooms, finely chopped (2 cups); 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion; 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 3 cups mushroom broth (or vegetable stock); 1 cup canned whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 basil sprig, plus chopped basil for garnishing; 1 pound rigatoni, fusilli or other short pasta; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

By Kay Chun

Published July 25, 2024

Eggplant Bolognese — Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Greg Lofts.

Total Time: 1¼ hours
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Rating: 5(1,534)
Comments: Read comments

Eggplant and mushrooms come together in place of ground beef in this hearty vegetarian pasta that delivers the depth of a more traditional Bolognese sauce. Use Italian eggplant, which is widely available and has silky, sweet flesh. Peeling the eggplant helps it brown and cook more quickly, and encourages it to partially melt into the sauce as it simmers. Earthy mushroom broth fortifies the vegetable-rich sauce with deeper savory flavor. Serve the pasta with a simple green salad and crusty bread.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

Salt and pepper
6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1pound Italian eggplant, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch pieces (4 packed cups)
6ounces cremini (or white button) mushrooms, finely chopped (2 cups)
½cup finely chopped white onion
½cup finely chopped carrot
3garlic cloves, minced
2tablespoons tomato paste
3cups mushroom broth (or vegetable stock)
1cup canned whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands
1teaspoon dried oregano
1basil sprig, plus chopped basil for garnishing
1pound rigatoni, fusilli or other short pasta
2tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high.
Step 2
In a large Dutch oven or other heavy lidded pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high. Add half of the eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, 5 minutes. Transfer eggplant to a plate. Adjust heat to medium and repeat with 2 tablespoons of the oil and the remaining eggplant, transferring the eggplant to the plate.
Step 3
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the mushrooms to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally to scrape up any browned bits, until golden, 5 minutes. Add onion and carrot, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 3 minutes. Adjust heat to low, add garlic and tomato paste and stir until caramelized, about 2 minutes.
Step 4
Stir in broth, tomatoes, oregano, basil sprig and the browned eggplant, then bring to a boil over medium-high. Cover, adjust heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very tender, 15 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring and mashing half of the eggplant, until sauce is thickened, 2 minutes.
Step 5
While the sauce comes to a boil, drop pasta in the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
Step 6
Add pasta, butter and ½ cup of the pasta water to the eggplant mixture and cook, stirring vigorously, until pasta is nicely coated and mixture is saucy, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 7
Divide pasta among bowls. Top with chopped basil and cheese; serve warm.

Ratings

5 out of 5

1,534 user ratings

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Comments

SGodin10 months ago

This recipe seemed a bit underwhelming when I taste-tested it at the cooking time specified in the recipe. I've been letting it gently simmer for an extra hour or so; it's thickening up beautifully and developing a lovely rich flavor with the extra time.

JSteele10 months ago

I thought it was a bit bland at first, but the more I ate, the better I liked it. Still think it could benefit by the addition of a wee bit of red pepper flakes at the end of Step 3. As usual, the prep and cooking times given are wildly optimistic. I am not a slow moving cook, and it took me twice as long to prepare this dish. Wish the Times would get honest about prep and cooking times.

Christine10 months ago

Addition to my previous note: I used a splash of dry red wine to de-glaze the pot after sauteeing the vegetables—a traditional bolognese recipe usually calls for it.

Jenny1 day ago

Roasted the eggplant for 30minutes at 350F as suggested by the previous comments and halved the vegetable stock as well. I’ve been simmering it for 2 hours on low heat! Topped it off with red paper flakes and it was very tasty!

Rennie2 days ago

Fabulous! I made the sauce exactly as written through step 4 the night before to allow time to enhance the flavor then warmed the sauce and continued with step 5 & 6 the next evening for dinner. The sauce thickened beautifully upon vigorously stirring in the pasta water and the flavor was OUTSTANDING! Immediately wanted to make more. Found myself getting a little taste here and there throughout the next day until the cupboard was bare, so to speak. Next time will definitely double the recipe.

Greg G2 weeks ago

My go to when the fam or guests demand a vegetarian change of pace. It’s also good with some seasoned ground beef added

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