Grilled Radicchio & Eggplant Pasta

Submitted by: Carie

Prep Time: 40 mins   Serves: 4   PerPerson: $1.68

Dietary: vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free

Description This delicious pasta recipe comes from Epicurious. The bitterness of the radicchio is nicely balanced by the sweetness of the eggplant and tomatoes.

Ingredients

$0.65   large eggplant

$2.99   can peeled tomatotes (peel your own for more savings!)

$1.20   1 head radicchio

$0.20   4 cloves garlic (chopped)

$0.15   1/2 onion (chopped)
$0.25   1 vegetable bullion cube
$0.10   1 Tbsp Italian parsley
$0.10   1 Tbsp thyme
$0.59   basil (1/2 c. chopped)
$0.50   1/2c. dry white wine (the one sitting half-drunk in your fridge...)

$6.73   Total ($1.68 per serving)

Directions

1. Cut the eggplant into 1" thick strips, salt lightly, and lay out on paper towels to "sweat" the eggplants for 30 minutes. Pat dry, brush with olive oil, and salt lightly. Meanwhile...
2. Heat a grill.
3. Cook pasta. Meanwhile...
4. Cook onions and garlic in oil on medium heat until onions are translucent. Add parsley & thyme and cook a few more minutes.
5. Add the tomatoes, wine, vegetable broth cube, basil, and red pepper. Simmer for 8 minutes.
6. Cut the radicchio into quarters, remove the heart. Brush with olive oil.
7. Grill the eggplant and slice into bite-sized pieces. Grill the radicchio until slightly wilted.
8. Turn off the heat and add the eggplant and radicchio to the sauce.
9. Toss the pasta in the sauce.

Notes
This recipe can easily be modified to add meat, e.g. ground beef or sausage. That makes it a little more expensive, but this is still a dirt-cheap meal!

More Photos

"Sweating" the Eggplant slices

Grilling the Eggplant on a Foreman Grill