Don’t know what to do with leftover red wine? How about cook with it!? Although I probably should have just finished the bottle when I opened it, I was feeling like an Italian night anyway so this crispy eggplant and marsala pasta is perfect! I recently found this vegan recipe from Rachel at We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook, but I decided to mix it up a bit with chicken broth and you could even add chicken!

Crsipy Eggplant and Mushroom Marsala Pasta

Ingredients:

2 cups of uncooked pasta, any shape you want! For this recipe I used rotini, but it’s great with any kind!*

*Side note-isn’t it funny how different shapes of pasta affect the flavor? Maybe it’s just like how you eat a tortilla impacts how delicious it is!

For the Crispy Eggplant:

1 large eggplant

1 cup of flour

1 cup of milk

1 egg

2 cups of breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon of dried parsley

1 teaspoon of dried basil

For the Marsala:

¼ of an onion

4 cloves of diced garlic

A handful of chopped mushrooms

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of flour

1 ½ cups of marsala wine (or any red wine that isn’t too sweet)

1 ½ cups of chicken broth

Salt to taste

 

Slice the eggplant into thin discs or “steaks.”  Set aside.

Cook pasta in boiling water to “al dente” consistency.

Begin making the marsala sauce by heating the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic and sautee until browned.

Pour into the wine and mix well, bring to a simmer.

Add the flour until desired consistency.

Add the salt to taste and mix in the cooked pasta. Set aside and keep warm.

To make the Crispy Eggplant:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.

Mix the breadcrumbs, flour and the herbs.

Crack the egg into the milk and mix well.

One by one, dip the eggplant steaks into the egg/milk mixture then into the breadcrumb mixture until coated.

Toast the coated eggplant steaks over medium heat until crispy and browned.

Enjoy with the marsala pasta!

 

What’s your favorite Italian dish?

 

Photo: Alice Henneman

 

By Elizabeth Adan

Elizabeth Adan is a Freelance Writer, Publicist and Brand Ambassador. Her blog Aquaberry Bliss is a unique outdoor lifestyle blog dedicated to expanding your world and inspiring your creativity. When Elizabeth isn’t traveling, you’ll find her writing, hiking or gardening. Find Elizabeth on Twitter @stillaporcupine and on LinkedIn.