Great use for whole-wheat penne: Pasta with Eggplant, Tomatoes &Mozzarella

 This is a great winter pasta, even though I realize the picture doesn't make it look quite as appetizing as I think it is. The mint adds a freshness and picks up some great flavors from the other veggies. This recipe comes from Real Simple. I stumbled upon it when I came home from the Farmer's Market with too much eggplant and wanted to do something different with it. It makes great leftovers and is pretty healthy. Penne is my favorite whole-wheat pasta so I made that change and a few other flavor changes from the original recipe.  I almost always add to the garlic a recipe calls for because I LOVE garlic. If you aren't a big garlic fan, you should probably reduce almost all my recipes by a clove. 

Whole-wheat Penne with Eggplant, Tomatoes & Mozzarella

• 1box whole-wheat penne
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium eggplant cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces 
• 1/2 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces 
• 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. I add just a drop of olive oil to the water as it boils to keep the pasta from sticking together
2. Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the eggplant, a little salt and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally until it softens and browns. About 8-10 minutes. 
3. Add the tomatoes, garlic, red pepper flakes and a little more salt and pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, tossing it around until the tomatoes are soft.
4. Combine pasta and vegetables mixture in a big bowl. Add mozzarella and sprinkle with mint.  

***Makes 4 servings.

***On Bryce's dish scale it's a 3. Skillet, pot, bowl, cutting board. Not a huge mess, but plenty of dishes.