Pasta with Eggplant Ragu

From EatingWell: April 1998, The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook (2005) — Subscribe Now!

Earthy eggplant teams up with jarred marinara sauce and bell peppers for a simple pasta sauce. Make it a meal: To round out the meal, just add a green salad and some good crusty bread.

READER'S COMMENT:

"This meal was really simple to make and didn't take much time! A good way to eat eggplants and I can't even begin to count how many times I filled up my plate! "

6 servings

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Low calorie | Low cholesterol | Healthy weight | High fiber | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 eggplant, (1-1 1/4 pounds), diced
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cups prepared marinara sauce
1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
12 ounces pasta, preferably penne
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, or 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add eggplant and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add bell pepper and basil; cover and cook for 5 minutes more.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and toss with sauce. Sprinkle with feta (or Parmesan) and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving: 325 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 2 g mono); 11 mg cholesterol; 57 g carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 10 g fiber; 524 mg sodium; 219 mg potassium.

4 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat