Eggplant-Tomato Sauce

This vegetarian eggplant tomato sauce has a sneaky depth that comes from dry sherry bubbling with olive oil as the cooking base. The alcohol cooks off, but it leaves behind a richness that makes this taste like it simmered for hours instead of thirty minutes.

Roma tomatoes break down into a chunky, thick sauce during the uncovered simmer, while the eggplant cubes soften into creamy little bites that almost dissolve into the background. A pinch of nutmeg is the quiet star here. It rounds out the tomato acidity and pairs with the basil in a way that straight oregano never could.

Toss this over any pasta you like. It clings best to shapes with ridges or tubes that trap the chunky bits.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t skip the covered step. Those two minutes of steaming the eggplant and pepper before adding the tomatoes softens them faster and prevents the eggplant from absorbing all the oil.
• Use fresh Roma tomatoes for the best texture. Canned diced tomatoes work too, but drain some liquid first or the sauce will be thinner.
• Simmer uncovered the full 20 minutes. The sauce needs to reduce to coat the pasta properly. Covered = watery.
• Season at the end. The sherry and tomatoes both add acidity that shifts as the sauce cooks down. Taste last, then adjust salt and pepper.

Variations

• Add protein: Crumble Italian sausage into the pan with the onions for a heartier meat version.
• Mediterranean spin: Toss in kalamata olives and capers during the last five minutes of simmering.