An Iranian spiced eggplant pasta sauce that is packed with flavor, creamy, tangy, and rehydrates unbelievably well. Recipe is adapted from Ottolenghi’s Iranian Style Pasta recipe in his book, Plenty More.
Serves 3.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium eggplants
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1.5 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- Fresh mint, optional
- 5 servings of angel hair or your preferred noodles
Instructions:
At home: Pierce eggplants in a few places with a sharp knife and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast eggplants at 450º F for about 1 hour, until the flesh is soft. Set aside and let cool for 15 minutes. Cut in half, spoon out the eggplant flesh into a colander, and let drain. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cumin seeds and saute for 10 to 12 minutes until soft and golden, stirring every now and then. Add eggplant flesh, crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of of ground black pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, until heated through. Add lemon juice, cook for 1 further minute and remove from the heat. Transfer to dehydrator and dehydrate until fully dry. Break into small pieces. Pack parmesan and mint separately.
At camp: Bring water to a boil. Put dehydrated sauce in a separate pot. Pour boiling water over dehydrated sauce until it just covers it. Stir and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes. If it’s not fully rehydrated, bring to a simmer, take off the heat, cover, and let sit another 5 minutes. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Top pasta with sauce, parmesan, and mint, if using.
