Here’s a recipe that bucks this convention and features eggplant without the sauce, but with red onions, garlic, baby spinach, and mint, all sautéed in extra virgin olive oil and tossed with spaghetti pasta and crumbled feta cheese. It is amazingly good! Surprisingly good. Like you just want to keep eating it good. You need to use a firm globe eggplant, not a tender Japanese eggplant for a recipe like this. The cubed globe eggplant will hold its shape in the time it takes to brown on all sides. The taste of mint is understated, it’s used like one would use oregano or thyme, just an herb to add a note to the dish. The recipe comes by way of my friend Kathi who cooked for many years at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco and who regularly inspires the dishes here on Simply Recipes. Thank you Kathi! When the oil is shimmering hot, add the cubed eggplant. (Add one cube first to make sure the pan is hot enough. If the eggplant sizzles, it is.) Toss to coat with the hot oil. Brown on all sides. While cooking, sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Browning the eggplant should take 8 to 10 minutes. When the eggplant is browned on all sides, remove it from the pan to a bowl, set aside. Add the spinach leaves and cook until just wilted. Return the cooked eggplant to the pan and add the mint. Toss to combine. Remove from heat. Add about 1/2 cup of pasta water to the pan with everything. Toss to combine. If you need a little more pasta water, add a little more. Serve garnished with the remaining crumbled feta cheese and sprinkle generously with freshly ground black pepper.
