Pasta with Eggplant Puree

I've spent the last month or two doing very little cooking and have mostly been gorging myself on grilled corn and caprese salad. Is there anything better then tomatoes and corn at the height of summer?

However, this means that other in-season vegetables are woefully being ignored. In attempt to add more variety to my diet, I picked up an eggplant at the market.

I'm still a novice when it comes to cooking eggplant but it always turns out lovely when roasted. This particular eggplant was roasted with cherry tomatoes, then blended together to make a sauce. Because there's a high ratio of eggplant to tomato, the eggplant is the star of the dish.

The eggplant puree was delicious tossed with pasta, but I can imagine it being a wonderful spread or dip.

Pasta with Eggplant Puree
Barely adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
1 pound dried pasta
1/4 cup torn fresh mint or basil leaves, plus a couple extra, slivered, to finish
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or ricotta salata

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (to taste). Spread the vegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but a full minute shy of done, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta but reserve a cup or so of the cooking water.

Transfer the roasted vegetables (using the parchment paper as a sling) to a food processor or blender. Add the torn mint or basil leaves, walnuts and additional 3 tablespoons olive oil. Blend until almost smooth.

Return the pasta to the cooking pot, pour sauce over it and a splash (about 1/3 cup) of cooking water and cook together, tossing so that the pasta is evenly coated, over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add more pasta cooking water, one ladleful at a time, as needed to loosen the sauce.

Transfer pasta and sauce to a serving bowl; garnish with extra herbs and parmesan or ricotta salata, and serve.