Culinary Guides

When the garden is throwing off eggplant and cherry tomatoes faster than you can use them, this pasta is where they go. The eggplant browns in olive oil, the tomatoes burst, and a splash of white wine pulls it all into a quick sauce. A lemon tahini drizzle and toasted almonds finish it off.

For the lemon tahini sauce

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 3 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the pasta

• 12 ounces pasta such as penne, fusilli, or spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Make the tahini sauce

1. Whisk or blend the tahini, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, water, and olive oil until smooth and pourable. Thin with a little more water if needed, then season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cook the pasta

1. Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain.

Braise the eggplant and tomatoes

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until golden and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Lower the heat to medium, add the sliced garlic, and cook 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook 3 to 4 minutes until they soften and burst.
3. Pour in the white wine, scrape up any browned bits, and simmer until most of the liquid cooks off and the tomatoes collapse, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Finish

1. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss, loosening with a little reserved pasta water if needed. Drizzle with the lemon tahini sauce and toss again.
2. Top with the minced parsley, toasted almonds, and a grind of black pepper, and serve warm.

Grower's tip: harvest eggplant young and glossy and use smaller fruits when you can. Smaller eggplants have fewer developed seeds and less bitterness, so they brown up creamy instead of spongy in a quick braise like this.

Grow the two vegetables that carry this dish: start a few plants from our eggplant seeds and cherry tomato seeds, with a pot of parsley by the door.