An easy homemade marinara sauce recipe made with baby eggplants stuffed with garlic. This Garlic Eggplant Marinara is not your typical tomato pasta sauce!
The Key Ingredient: Baby Eggplants
Although baby eggplants are not always easy to find, when you do, they become the star in this delicious marinara sauce. The tiny eggplants, also called Indian eggplant, are cut and stuffed with whole garlic cloves.
However, as the marinara sauce cooks, the eggplants break down and some of garlic is released into this flavorful sauce.
The eggplants are not only a nutritious addition to this vegetarian pasta sauce, but they also provide a “meaty” texture. This Garlic Eggplant Marinara is a filling and satisfying meat-free pasta sauce that is sure to delight!
Get Ready for Garlic Eggplant Marinara!
The garlic and the eggplant are a flavorful addition to this easy marinara sauce. Simply serve this sauce over your own favorite pasta for a healthy and comforting vegetarian meal. We are sure that if you make this sauce you will not miss the meat. Enjoy!
Garlic Eggplant Marinara
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Sauté, Simmer
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
An easy homemade marinara sauce recipe made with baby eggplants stuffed with garlic. This is not your typical marinara pasta sauce!
Ingredients
- 10 Italian Baby Eggplants (also called Indian Eggplant)
- 2 stalks celery, Chopped
- 10 cloves of Garlic, peeled
- 1 onion, Chopped
- 2 cans of crushed tomatoes (28 oz.)
- 1 can of tomato paste (6 oz.)
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 tsp. Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp. Rosemary
- 1/2 tsp. Thyme
- 1 tsp Salt (to taste)
- 1/2 tsp Red pepper (optional)
- Rind of Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Coarsely chop the onion and celery. Peel the garlic and cut cloves in half that are extra large in size. Cut lines into the baby eggplants, leaving the eggplant attached at its narrowest end. Push one garlic clove into the opening that was made in each eggplant.
- Heat the olive oil over med/high heat in a large stockpot. Add the onion and celery and sauté until fragrant and slightly translucent. Next, add the tomato paste stirring continuously for approximately 2 minutes. Then, add the dry spices, crushed tomatoes, baby eggplants, and remaining ingredients (if using).
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the sauce, covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Eggplants will begin to break apart and incorporate into the sauce.
- Remove from heat and immediately serve over your favorite pasta.
- Leftover sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Keywords: Marinara, Pasta Sauce, Baby Eggplants, Vegetarian
