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One-pot Aubergine Pasta

An easy and healthy one-pot pasta dish inspired by Afghan flavours! It's just perfect to throw in the oven while you pour yourself a drink and relax.
5 from 1 vote
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Afghan
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tsp garlic crushed (I use lazy garlic)
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 200 g kidney beans
  • 1 small aubergine diced into squares
  • 200 g macaroni pasta or any other pasta shape
  • 1 tin full of pasta water use the kidney bean tin
  • Handful fresh mint chopped

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 190° /170 fan. Fry the onions, garlic and tomato puree in a medium casserole pot until soft.
  • Add the spices and mix in. Add the kidney beans and cook for a minute.
  • Add the tin of water and bring to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, lay the chopped aubergine on a tray, drizzle with oil and oven for 20 minutes.
  • Once the casserole is ready, add the pasta and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, until your required pasta shape is cooked.
  • Serve with chopped mint and some bread of your choosing.

Notes

Fresh mint - I did use fresh for this recipe but you could also use dried or frozen.
Cooking the pasta - depending on the shape you use, you may need to adjust your cook time for the pasta. It may take a little longer to cook that it would in normal water. This is just what I found. Keep checking, keep stirring and even add a tiny bit more water if you think it needs it. It won't appear as swollen as it usually would... no idea why! I was convinced my pasta wasn't cooked but it was.. the shape hadn't grown bigger by much. At least it was cooked!
Leftovers - can eat them cold if you fancy! Stir in lots more cherry tomatoes and some cucumber for an interesting pasta salad.
Aga cooking - All my recipes are tested and cooked on an Aga, however I always change the recipe to suit a conventional oven. For this recipe, I'd suggest using a suitable casserole pot on the boiling plate and place in the roasting oven for 30 mins. The aubergine went above the casserole on a small tray lined with bake-o-glide.
Slow-cooker - you can easily do this one in a slow-cooker. If you use the Morphy Richards Sear and Stew, you can follow the recipe exactly as it is but place it all in the slow-cooker instead of the oven and cook for 7 hours on low/4 hours on high. A good idea if you're using dried kidney beans. Please follow this advice from BBC Food on how to prepare kidney beans. Kidney beans cooked in the wrong way can be fatal!
Storage - It's best if you store this pasta dish, well-sealed and in the fridge. It'll keep for 2 days, roughly. 
Re-heating - re-heating pasta is not the best but you can if you have to. Re-heat until hot, either in the micr0wave or on a stovetop.
Freezing - I wouldn't recommend freezing cooked pasta as it's so easy to cook from fresh.
Keyword Dinners, one pot, Pasta, vegan, vegetarian
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