Eggplant Pasta Toss

When it comes to food John and I pretty much see eye to eye. He's way more experimental than I am, but in general we like the same stuff. With that said John is "meh" about some of my favorite foods- lasagna, baked ziti, and eggplant. This creates an issue- who doesn't want to eat their favorite foods?! Eggplant is a new found love of mine but I really really love it. Every time I go to Trader Joes I buy a box of their breaded eggplant cutlets. I have made several great dishes with them, such as eggplant ricotta pizza, eggplant parmesan paninis, eggplant florentine, and my personal fave- unrolled rollatini. The key element between all of these recipes is marinara sauce and cheese. I decided when I was making dinner the other day that I just didn't want that combo. After asking around on my blog's facebook page I decided to make this recipe using a few suggestions from different people and combining them. It really was delicious. Plus, since it was all diced up and mixed in John didn't seem to mind the eggplant!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1/2 pound rotini
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp Italian seasonings
Salt and pepper
3 breaded eggplant cutlets, cooked, and diced small, kept warm
1 roasted red pepper, diced small
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving

Directions:
1- Cook the pasta according to packaging directions.
2- Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the oil. Add the garlic and stir frequently, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the chicken broth, Italian seasonings, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
3- Turn the heat up to medium high and cook for about 5-10 minutes, until the sauce begins to reduce down and slightly thicken.
4- Add the pasta to the skillet, tossing well to coat. Add the diced eggplant, red pepper, and parmesan. Stir until well combined.
5- Serve hot. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese to taste.