One Pan Aubergine & Tomato Pasta
Soft caramelized aubergines in a tomatoey anchovies and capers sauce served with creamy burrata and a tangy lemon basil topping. Yuhuuummm!
The aubergines soak up all that rich, umami-packed sauce, turning irresistibly silky. The anchovies melt into the tomatoes, adding depth without overpowering, while the capers bring little pops of briny goodness. And then—just when you think it can’t get any better—there’s the burrata. That luscious, creamy center oozes into the warm pasta, coating every bite in pure indulgence. This is what makes the One Pan Aubergine & Tomato Pasta so irresistible.
But wait, the final flourish: a bright and zesty lemon basil topping that cuts through the richness and ties everything together. It’s fresh, comforting, and truly delicious.
Best part?It all comes together in one pan, making it the perfect weeknight dinner—big on flavour, low on effort. Serve it straight from the pan with some crusty bread to mop up every last bit of sauce. Because trust me, you won’t want to waste a drop!
Recipe inspired by @lynnvanderhorst. Another great one pan pasta dish is this Butter Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Pasta Bake.
One Pan Aubergine & Tomato Pasta
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...Ingredients
- 2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
- Pepper & Salt
- 1 aubergine
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 - 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 - 2 tbsp capers
- 4 - 5 anchovies
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- Small handful basil leaves, finely chopped
- 300 ml stock (chicken or vegetable)
- 150 g pasta of choice (see notes)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3-4 tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
- To serve
- 1 burrata ball
- Big handful basil
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Pepper & Salt
Instructions
Slice the aubergine into 6 slices, ± 1 cm thick. Season with pepper & salt on 1 side.
Heat a good glug of olive oil in a large pan which has a lid. Carefully lay the aubergine into the oil, seasoned side down. Fry on medium heat until browned on 1 side. Season before flipping to fry the other side. ± 2-3 minutes each side. You may need to do this in batches. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Into the same pan pour some more olive oil and add the onion and garlic, sauté until translucent and fragrant , ± 2 minutes.
Add the anchovies and capers and give it a stir before pouring in the chopped tomatoes and the stock. Add some chopped basil and give it a stir.
Add the pasta and mix well making sure all pieces are coated and at least half way covered (see notes).
Put the lid on the pan and turn the heat down to medium, let is cook until the pasta is done, ± 10 - 15 minutes, depending on the type of pasta used (see notes).
When the pasta is al dente, add the aubergines over the top, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and place the lid back on. Continue to cook for 4-5 minutes until the cheese has melted.
In the meantime, in a small bowl, mix together finely chopped basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, pepper and salt.
When the cheese has melted remove from the heat, serve with the burrata and basil lemon mix divided over the top.
Notes
You can use any dried pasta for this: lasagne leaves, fussili, macaroni, penne etc. Small pasta or lasagne is the easiest and will cook in about 10 minutes. I used large shell shaped pasta, they took a while longer too cook because they weren't fully covered with the sauce, but after stirring in between a few times, they cooked in about 15 minutes.
