Recipe inspiration can come from many places. This idea for pasta salad, eggplant and pesto comes from a dish that was posted at the Cenaa caterer in Montreal. I was going there just to buy a sandwich, but this salad looked good. I had an eggplant from our last farm basket to use up. So I improvised a recipe based on it. Here it is.
![Salade de pâtes aubergine et pesto](https://fournoratio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-08-23-salade-de-pate-pesto-aubergine-0002.jpg)
Hot or cold?
This Italian-inspired salad is perfect for late summer. It is designed to be eaten cold.
One of the great things about this salad is that you don't really use vinaigrette. It's the olive oil and pesto that serve as the dressing/seasoning. So I think this pasta salad can be eaten warm. It will still be good. But if you want to eat it as a hot meal, I'd use mozzarella instead of feta. I find that it's a cheese that goes down better when warm.
It can stand on its own as a main course. But it can also serve as a good side dish. I wouldn't use it as a starter, however, as it's a bit too heavy to follow up with a main course.
![Salade de pâtes aubergine et pesto](https://fournoratio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-08-23-salade-de-pate-pesto-aubergine-0001.jpg)
Eggplant and pesto pasta salad variations
This recipe is a really good base, but as is often the case, let your imagination run wild and use what you've got in the fridge rather than throwing it away. Here are a few ideas for variations.
If your pesto isn't very "garlicky", or if you like a strong garlic taste, you can easily add garlic or garlic flower. It works well with pesto.
Peppers go well in them too. You can cook them like eggplant, or keep them raw for a little extra crunch.
![Salade de pâtes aubergine et pesto](https://fournoratio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-08-23-salade-de-pate-pesto-aubergine-0003.jpg)
In the original recipe, La Cena marinates the eggplants rather than cooking them. But not knowing exactly how and with what they make their marinade... I improvised a version without marinade. But if you have a good marinade recipe, feel free to try it with.
Cherry tomatoes can also be easily added to the recipe, simply cut in half or quarters depending on their size. Normal" tomatoes can also be used, although they tend to produce a lot of juice.
Get cooking!
Print![](https://fournoratio.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2023-08-23-salade-de-pate-pesto-aubergine-0003-150x150.jpg)
Pasta, eggplant and pesto salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 people 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A recipe for eggplant and pesto pasta salad. Perfect for summer!
Ingredients
- 300 gr pasta
- 1 small eggplant (or ½ heavy)
- 50 gr dried tomatoes
- 200 gr feta cheese
- 100 gr olives
- 50 gr pesto
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Basil leaf (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta and leave to cool
- Cut the eggplant into cubes, about 1 cm square.
- In a small frying pan, brown the eggplants over medium heat with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. I also like to add a little pesto, but that's optional.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Set aside in a bowl to cool
- Cut the olives and remove their pits.
- Cut the feta cheese into 1 cm cubes.
- If using fresh basil, cut off the leaves.
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
- Add the pesto and 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper as required.
- Mix well.
- Taste for yourself.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Cuisine: Italian
Fancy a salad? Try my other recipes for salad !
Leave a comment