Ingredients
- 2 medium Italian eggplants (approx 2 lbs)
- 1 cup olive oil, divided (we love Brightland’s Salad OO!)
- 1 head garlic, divided
- ⅓ cup Sunny Tahini (original)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (can be omitted or replaced with Aleppo pepper)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice + zest of one lemon
- 2 pints assorted heirloom cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, lengthwise
- 1 large red onion
- ¼ cup Sherry vinegar + more to taste
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper chili flakes (we love Burlap & Barrel’s Silk Chili!)
- Salt, freshly ground pepper
- 1 box Flour + Water Foods Organic Penne Rigate
- Kosher salt
- 1 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained + rinsed
- 7 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- ¾ cup mint leaves, torn
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted
Method
Roast + prep the eggplant (can be done up to two days in advance). Preheat oven to 435 degrees. Use a fork to pierce the eggplants in a few different places to allow the steam to release while it’s roasting. Coat the surface with a tablespoon of olive oil + season with salt. Place on a lined baking sheet to prevent sticking, and roast for 40-45 minutes, flipping once. The eggplants should be charred on the outside, and fully soft to the touch. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes while beginning to prep your tomatoes. (See instructions below.)
Once cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to carefully slice open the eggplants, lengthwise. Place a large fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Use a spoon to scoop out the inner flesh, transferring it to the strainer. Once all the interior flesh has been transferred, use your spoon to press out excess liquid. Allow to continue draining while the tomatoes roast.
Prepare the tomatoes. Reduce oven temperature to 325. Reline your baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread half the sliced tomatoes over the sheet, cut side facing up. Thinly slice ¼ of the onion and transfer to a large mixing bowl with the other half of the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, Aleppo pepper, 1 small garlic clove, microplaned (or very finely minced); and toss with ¼ cup Sherry vinegar. Slice the remaining onion into slightly thicker wedges, and intersperse between the tomatoes, along with the rest of the garlic cloves. Season with salt, pepper, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Slow-roast for 60 minutes until the garlic and onions are caramelized and the tomatoes are concentrated and slightly shriveled in appearance. Set aside.
Cook the pasta. Bring four quarts of water to a boil in a six-quart stock pot or dutch oven. Once the water comes to a boil, season with ¼ cup of kosher salt and add the penne. Once the pasta is just slightly undercooked (about 11-12 minutes as it will continue to cook while it’s cooling), strain and immediately spread the pasta on a lined baking sheet. Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally so the noodles don’t stick together.
Prepare the baba ganoush. While the pasta is cooling, transfer the drained eggplant innards to a food processor along with ⅓ cup Sunny Tahini, smoked paprika, roasted garlic cloves (remove the skin), 3 tablespoons lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with freshly ground pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt. Process until smooth.
Assemble the salad. Once the pasta has cooled, add to the bowl with the marinated tomatoes + lightly pickled onion, along with the roasted tomatoes + roasted onion, and chickpeas. Add the remaining olive oil, and toss together. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, Aleppo pepper, and Sherry vinegar as desired. Gently fold in half the feta + half the mint. Spread the baba ganoush over the surface of your serving platter or individual bowls if plating single portions. Spoon the pasta salad into the center of the baba ganoush. Top with remaining feta, mint leaves, and finish with pine nuts.
