First of all, THANK YOU for your kind words and excitement surrounding my cookbook announcement! I am so glad we can talk about Love Real Food now. My mind has been so preoccupied with the book lately that I haven’t been able to come up with much to talk about, other than the weather. I’m tired of talking about the weather. (Are you tired of hearing me ramble on about the weather? Yes? I don’t blame you.)
Now we can talk cookbook, too. Your enthusiasm got me all fired up last week and kept me fueled through shooting six recipes on Friday. Thank you! I keep forgetting that I can share the process now, but I promise to start sharing sneak peaks of #loverealfoodbook this week.
I designed the cookbook’s recipe list to be more season-less than seasonal, because I want most of the recipes to appeal to you and be available to you year-round. That means I’ve been reserving the super seasonal recipes for the blog, which is fun because I can publish them when they’re prime for the making.
Like, this pasta dish. It’s perfect for this time of year. It’s not too hot outside to crank up the oven and roast eggplant, which is at its peak right now. I’ve had an odd hankering for roasted eggplant ever since I made Anna’s Mediterranean quinoa salad. Most people describe eggplant as bitter, but I’d say it’s borderline sour. Tangy. Pillowy. Hearty. So good, if paired with the right flavors.
I took some cues from Anna’s salad and combined roasted eggplant with feta, pine nuts and fresh herbs. I first tried it without tomatoes, wondering if eggplant could stand on its own, but sweet roasted tomatoes made it more of an irresistible—and I daresay, dazzling—veggie-packed pasta dish. I should have known. Eggplant and tomatoes are garden mates and nightshade cousins, and they belong together in this recipe.
DeLallo’s light and tender whole wheat orzo pasta forms the base of the dish. Just look at those cute little oblong pasta pieces! DeLallo makes the best whole wheat pasta and I love that they offer it in so many fun shapes, from orzo to rigatoni to orecchiette. You can find their products at Whole Foods and well-stocked grocery stores, as well as online. I’m flying out to Pittsburgh to hang out with the DeLallo team and a few of my favorite bloggers this week. I can’t wait! More on that later, but please make this dish before the tomatoes are gone!
More Recipes to Enjoy
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Caponata
- Double Tomato Pesto Spaghetti with Zucchini Noodles
- Easy Tomato Salad
- Ratatouille
- Vegetable Paella
Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Orzo Pasta
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Roasted eggplant, cherry tomatoes and orzo combine in this light pasta dish. It’s a great weeknight dinner recipe for summer and early fall! If you can’t find whole wheat orzo, try rotini or fusilli or another small pasta shape. Recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.
Ingredients
Roasted eggplant
- 1 medium purple eggplant (about 1 pound), sliced into ¾-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Everything else
- ½ pound DeLallo Organic Whole Wheat Orzo
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
Lemon-garlic dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, more to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with one rack in the middle of the oven and the other rack in the upper third of the oven. Line 1 large, rimmed baking sheet and 1 small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- On the large baking sheet, toss the cubed eggplant with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Arrange the eggplant in a single layer. Roast on the middle rack until the eggplant is tender and deeply golden on the edges, about 25 minutes, tossing halfway.
- Meanwhile, on the smaller baking sheet, toss the halved tomatoes with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Wait to place the pan of tomatoes on the top rack until you return the eggplant to the oven after tossing. Roast until the tomatoes are tender and a little wrinkled, about 12 minutes. (So in an ideal situation, the eggplant and tomatoes will be done roasting at the same time.)
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the orzo, give it a stir and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup cooking water, then drain the orzo and transfer it to a large serving bowl.
- To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle it over the warm orzo and toss to coat. Add the roasted eggplant, tomatoes, feta, basil, parsley and pine nuts. Toss to combine. If the pasta seems dry, add a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water and/or a little more olive oil. Season to taste with additional salt (mine needed ¼ teaspoon more) and pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the feta. You might want to add some thinly sliced, pitted Kalamata olives to make up for feta’s salty punch.
Make it gluten free: Substitute a small gluten-free pasta for the orzo and cook according to package directions.
▸ Nutrition Information
This post was created in partnership with DeLallo Foods and I received compensation for my participation. Opinions are my own, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
haley @cupcakes and sunshine
WOW Yum! This looks incredible!!!
Evelyn
This looks divine! I love orzo and the mouth feeling it gives, such a huge difference compared to normal pasta or rice!
Also, SO EXCITED about the cookbook! I was secretly hoping for you to bring out a cookbook for a while now, and also so excited when you said you had news, praying it would be a cookbook! I adore your recipes, they’re ALWAYS good; lovely, healthy, easy to make, and the instructions never fail me. You’re my go-to blog for weeknights and dinners with guests alike, and I can’t wait for this cookbook! Will it be distributed in Europe, too?
Kate
Thank you, Evelyn! Thrilled to hear that you’re looking forward to the cookbook. Yay! I am not sure about European distribution, but if you can’t get it when the time comes, email me and I’ll make sure you get a copy. :)
Evelyn
That would be wonderful, you’re too sweet :)
On a different note, I was wondering if you have a PA already? Can imagine it’s nearly undoable to run a blog ánd create a cookbook if you have to do everything by yourself…
Kate
I have someone helping me with roundups, and a kitchen assistant who comes about once a week to cook cookbook recipes with me. That’s it!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
I rarely cook orzo but it always looks so good, you’ve inspired me! :) And congrats on the cookbook!!! SO exciting, can’t wait to hear more about it!
Kate
Thank you, Becca!!!
Amy @ Parsley In My Teeth
I’ve been cooking with roasted eggplant a lot recently — it’s so good that it’s hard to resist. And I love this recipe — looks like Cookie is begging for another bite as well!
Rajul | Charlotte Veggie
I LOVE roasted eggplant and I’ve always been grateful for this brand making whole wheat orzo, my daughter’s fave pasta shape!
Beth
Made this for dinner tonight; super flavorful! Love your seasonal recipes!
Kate
Awesome! Thanks, Beth!
Tori
Love this! It looks so fresh and delicious!
Trish
How did I miss your cookbook announcement?!?!?!? How very exciting for you and your fans ;)
This recipe is on my plans for the weekend. Looks delish and I’ll let you know as a vegan how it tastes without the feta.
Congrats on the book!
Kate
Thank you so much, Trish!
Allyson
Pillowy eggplant is the best kind of eggplant, and DeLallo makes the best dried pasta I’ve had. Yum and yum.
Jane
Hey Kate, another winner as always! I particularly loved the punchy lemon dressing with the roast vegetables. And congrats on the book – I’ll definitely be getting a copy :-)
Kate
Thank you, Jane! Happy to hear it, on both accounts!
Gaby Dalkin
there is totally not enough great orzo salad recipes. pretty thankful for this incredibly delicious sounding one!!
Alexa @ Sweet Little Kitchen
I loved the Mediterranean Quinoa Salad recipe, so I’m guessing I’ll enjoy this one too. I made a stew last night with a blended tomato and eggplant base – they really are delicious seasonal soul mates :)
lisa @ garlicandzest.com
This looks (and sounds) like something I want to eat right now — and I’m not even a huge eggplant fan — you say “pillowy” — I say “spongy”. Regardless, I’m going to try it. Thanks for pushing me past my comfort zone!
Kate
No, not spongy! Pillowy! I hope you like it!
lisa @ garlicandzest.com
Wow, this looks so tasty and satisfying — and I’m not even an eggplant fan! Regardless, I’m going to have to give this one a try! Thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone!
Tessa | Natural Comfort Kitchen
Love the looks of this recipe Kate! I accidentally discovered Delallo’s whole wheat orzo for a recipe I made a couple months ago, and I’ll attest that it’s so amazing, especially for whole wheat pasta. Congrats on the cookbook! Can’t wait to see some sneak peeks and hear more about it!
Kate
Thanks, Tessa! Their orzo is great, isn’t it?!
Rami @ Tasteaholics
Great recipe! Love eggplant and tomato. I can only imagine what this tastes like :D Pinned!
Allyson
This dish looks so tasty. I love Mediterranean inspired meals! It’s making me hungry. Cookie is also absolutely adorable in her picture! :)
Kate
Thank you, Allyson! :)
VÍCTOR
Hi Kate, I made the recipe this weekend with some friends.
All my friends were very pleased.
Thank you
★★★★★
Kate
So glad to hear that. Thank you, Victor!
Blaire
I made this last night, and it was delicious!! Thanks! :)
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Blaire!
Kathryn
Belated congrats on the cookbook! I’m so excited for you and I know it’s going to be an absolutely fantastic book – every recipe I’ve ever made of yours has been perfect and I can’t wait for a whole book filled with them!
Kate
Thank you so much, Kathryn! :)
Nancy
I have received your Cookie and Kate emails for some time now but have never left a message. The time is NOW!! I have loved following you and your recipes never fail me. I actually set up a separate pin just for Cookie and Kate recipes so I can refer back to them. I am SO excited for your cookbook. I was going to email you a few weeks back to ask if you had a cookbook and low and behold….there was your announcement! My only disappointment is that I have to wait SO long for it! Keep these amazing recipes coming!
Kate
Nancy, thank you so much for saying hello! I’m delighted to hear that you are enjoying my recipes so much. Hooray!!!
Julie
I made the vegan version of this recipe the day you posted it. I didn’t have orzo so I used small penne. It was delicious! I will be roasting eggplant again! And the roasted tomatoes were also amazing–roasting enhances their flavor. The lemony dressing is very good and compliments all of the tastes in the dish. We were mmmm-ing and wow–ing as we ate. Thanks! I know I will make this again and again.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Julie! Delighted to hear it!
Bea
I have made 4 of your recipes and they were all fabulous! I love your blog. I’m making this tomorrow night for dinner :) do you have any favorite soup recipes?
Kate
Thanks, Bea! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes. I do have some favorite soups! This lentil soup, butternut soup, butternut chili and peanut soup.
Sarah
Oh wow is this amazing! I didn’t roast the cherry tomatoes (I like them raw), and instead of feta I made it kind of caprese style and used up some fresh mozarella I had on hand. This recipe is a keeper.
Kate
Sounds great! Thanks, Sarah!
Amber Morrell
I made this for dinner last week! The only change I made was to use some chopped heirlooms instead of cherry tomatoes. It turned out great but it wasn’t anything special warm. A few days in the fridge though… this dish SHINES as a cold dish. I probably won’t make it as a meal again, but I’m planning on making a batch on a Sunday and eating it as a side dish for lunches and dinners throughout the week. It was good warm, but just soooo much better cold. I ate it as a cold side after making your tomato jam and mozzarella paninis, which were also excellent! I’m loving your recipes so far. I’m planning on making the sweet potato and green rice bowls dinner tonight.
– Amber
★★★★
Genia
I’ve made countless CookieandKate recipes and all of them have turned out so great that they generally get added to our usual meal rotation. We loved this fresh pasta dish – you somehow have a way of turning regular, easily available ingredients into something that tastes really special :) Can’t wait for your cookbook!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you so much, Genia! :)
Rachel Jackson
Great recipe. I made only small changes (rare for me!). We’re GF so I used GF orzo of course, I also couldn’t resist and added lemon zest to the dressing other than that it was exactly the same and absolutely delicious. I’m looking forward to taking the leftovers to school with me next week.
★★★★★
Jaclyn
Was looking for a good summery recipe to get me back in the routine of cooking… This did it! I used Roma tomatoes instead of grape/cherry, and it turned out just as yummy anyways.
My first official Kate recipe- did NOT disappoint!
★★★★★
Nina
This was SO good! Wow! We had rice pasta to keep GF and had cilantro on hand. Loved the sweetness of the tomatoes with the bite of the garlic. The dressing was heavenly with this. The tomatoes and eggplant went together beautifully. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Emilie
I had all the ingredients except orzo and pine nuts. I made this recipe with whole wheat rotini and no pine nuts…still amazing. I make more recipes from your blog than any other. Thanks!
★★★★★
Valerie
Hi Kate
Appreciate your recipes so much as I am trying to eat more vegetarian meals. I made the eggplant orzo tonight and it was a big hit in my family which is not always easy especially with an 18 year old daughter and an 88 year old Mom at the table! Everyone loved it.
I did leave out the pine nuts though because every package of pine nuts I found were made in China. Can you find pine nuts from anywhere else? Thanks, Valerie
Liz
This was really great! I ended up doubling the tomatoes to use up the pint. Loved by whole family!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Liz! The more tomatoes, the better, I think!
Fred
I loved your recipe! It turned out great! To make it even more loaded with veggies, I added zucchinis and Broccolis to the list of roasted vegetables.
Also, I substituted the salt of th veggies with soy sauce, it tasted awesome!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Fred! Your version sounds delicious.
sarika
I made this for dinner tonight and added some red onion and garlic when I roasted the tomatoes. It was tasty and felt really healthy :)
Kate
Thanks, Sarika! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Tina
I made it. It was delicious!!!
★★★★
Jeanne
Roasting my eggplant on parchment paper has been a revelation!!! The taste difference is amazing. So glad I found this site.
Kate
I’m glad, too!
Rebecca
I know this is an older post, but my husband and I have made it at least 6 times in the last 3 months. Easily my favorite recipe at the moment. Thank you for many delicious summer days!
Kate
You’re welcome, Rebecca! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Kathy
Wow! Another keeper…this is delicious! All the flavors complemented each other really well! The dressing added real pizazz as did the toasted pine nuts. THANK YOU yet again Kate for a wonderful meal!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Kathy! So happy you loved this.
Linda
Hi Kate…have discovered your lovely vegetarian recipes and am delighted to explore them each day. I hope you can answer a question.
I am often asked to bake for bake sales that help raise money for dog rescues. Sometimes I have to do the baking ahead of time. Can you suggest any cookie or bake sale type items that would be delicious but would, most importantly, be able to be baked ahead of time …say a day or two before the sale and still be good to sell for my cause…to help homeless pets? Linda
Kate
Hmmm.. the first thing that comes to mind are my carrot cake breakfast cookies. That recipe is in my book, but several of my food blogging friends have made it and posted the recipe on the blog. You can find it here. I think these would be perfect!
Tammy Storck
Yum! I just made this and it is absolutely delicious! I had a yellow pepper that was looking sad in the frig. so I broiled it to remove the skin and tossed it in along with the eggplant and tomatoes. Other than that I followed your recipe to a tee.
Thank you so much for sharing.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Tammy! I love that this recipe is easily customizable. Your version sounds delicious.
Jules
Hello Kate, I just finished making this, and it is so fresh and delicious.
I never made orzo pasta before, what a great change. Thank you so much for adding it to the 25 recipes to make before the end of summer. Another hit …
Holly
I doubled the recipe and it was still delicious. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Perfect!
MacFadden
I made this for my bag lunch this week and it was delicious great. I’ll put it in my rotation.
★★★★★
MacFadden
I meant to just say “delicious,” not “delicious great” ;)
Kate
Perfect!
Pam
This is so good. I eat way too much of it. I leave off the feta. It’s even good cold for lunch the next day.
★★★★★
lld
made it and yup, another winner. love yur recipes and I was first in line for yur cookbook.
and no, I have no affiliation with Kate (but would be willing to). Happy thanksgiving everyone.
Dianne Churcher
We just finished this delicious meal. Flavours were wonderful. I had to make substitutions based on what I had on hand. Dried basil on tomatoes before baking, cilantro instead of parsley, small shell pasta. I made it for 2 of us and could have eaten my share + the leftovers. Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Dianne! Thank you, for sharing. If you would want to leave a review since you liked it so much, that would be wonderful.
Ioana
I love eggplant. It was such a fresh and delicious meal. I will definitely make it again1
★★★★★
Emily at the Fetch Ranch
Made this tonight with eggplant and tomatoes from our garden. We served it with grilled chicken and we LOVED it! Nice light summer meal. So tasty and lots of flavor! Thank you for the recipe.
Emily at the Fetch Ranch
Forgot to rate it.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome!
Ariana
I made this tonight, sans pine nuts, and it was still divine! Thanks for the greT recipe!
Kate
You’re welcome, Ariana!
Shannon
You’ve done it again, Kate! I just made this for dinner tonight and IT WAS DIVINE. I made it exactly as you suggest, with the sole addition of adding arugula to it–only because I had some from earlier this week that I didn’t want to go bad.
For what it’s worth, the arugula was a nice touch! I may have added slightly more ground pepper had I not used it, but due to its peppery taste it was perfect. Thank you for constantly making my life easier by providing such easy and tasty recipes. I appreciate all your hard work!
★★★★★
Kate
I love that you added arugula! Nice peppery taste addition. I appreciate the comment and review, Shannon.
Emily Carter
I just made this recipe last night for dinner with a friend who was visiting. It was fantastic! Light, summery, but filling and delicious. It didn’t take very long, as most of the time was prepping/roasting the vegetables. One thing I will add to it next time is kalamata olives, but other than that I wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you for sharing this!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! I think that would be a nice add-in. Thanks for the review, Emily!
anthony
Heavenly!! A perfect summer meal, for company or otherwise. Many thanks!
★★★★★
Erin Smith
With fresh eggplant, basil, parsley, and garlic from our backyard garden, this recipe was DIVINE! I roasted all the veggies on cast iron plates on our grill (kept at 400) and boiled the water for the orzo on the outdoor burner. The house stayed cool and we couldn’t get enough of this easy, yummy dinner.
★★★★★
Carey
Thank you Kate! This was so good. So so good! Followed your recipe to a “T” although I didn’t have feta, so substituted goat cheese. It was divine. We ate on a bed of fresh kale. Balanced, bright and satisfying on a hot, humid day. This will be another go-to of your consistently wonderful recipes!!
★★★★★
Kate
Oh over kale, delicious! Thanks for Carey. I appreciate the review.
Marisa D
The Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Orzo Pasta is delicious!
We all loved it and the leftovers are great for lunch.
Thanks Kate for another great, easy recipe!!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for your review, Marisa.
Lauren
I don’t usually comment on recipes, but this was so delicious and easy that i’m giving it 5 stars. We’ll definitely be adding it to our rotation!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so happy you did, Lauren!
Patricia
Just made this, and it was absolutely delicious! The flavors are perfect for late summer. I also threw in some chickpeas for added protein and it went along great.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Patricia!
Shannon
Now I know how I’m going to use some of my roasted tomato glut. I’m mainly here to say how much I like that sweet photo of Cookie, though!
Kate
Great! And thank you. She is a cutie!
Shannon
Just perfect! I love the bright lemon complementing the rich roasted flavors. I happened to have an eggplant that needed to be used, as well as a small bit of feta. Your search box came in handy! The only additions I made were some caramelized onions & kalamata olives. My husband loved this dish too!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Shannon! I do enjoy being able to search by ingredient or keyword. :) Thanks for your review!
Laurie Mildenhall
Delicious and quick! Thank you for another weeknight dinner staple.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Laurie!
Kimberlyn
I’ve made this recipe several times lately and my family and I love it. Super easy, healthy, and really good. Sometimes I am missing an ingredient or two and it’s easy to tweak here and there to fit what I’ve got. I’ve always skipped the red pepper flakes, but will try adding those one of these times.
★★★★★
Kate
I love that you tweak this based on what you have! What has been your favorite variation?
Colleen
One of my favourite pasta recipes on your blog! Delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you! I’m glad you love it, Colleen.
Heather NYC
Made this recipe vegan by adding kalamata olives instead of the feta. I upped the acidity content by adding a bit more fresh lemon juice and cherry tomatoes, otherwise no changes except I couldn’t find DeLallo orzo so I used a different whole wheat pasta. This was another perfect recipe, Kate! Thank you! Lately I’ve been making more of your recipes than any other :)
Kate
Sounds like a great way to make this work for you, Heather! Thanks for sharing.
Joanne
Hi Kate, I love eggplant but unfortunately, not my husband..can I, *groan*, leave it out or sub with anothe veggie?
My daughter just sent me this recipe site.
Kate
Welcome, Joanne! I really do love eggplant here. However, yellow squash or zucchini could be nice.
Kristin
This was awesome! I will definitely make it again.
I made two small changes:
upped it to 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper
and
approx 3 tbsp of kalamata olives instead of the pine nuts, which I didn’t have in the house.
Thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Kristin!
Eleisha
Yummm! I might try this with a dollop of ricotta!?
Love everything I’ve cooked using your recipes, I’ve ordered your book which is tracking to arrive today! Woo!
Pats to Cookie :-)
★★★★★
Kate
Sure! Let me know what you think of the cookbook. I’m excited for you to get it!
Eleisha
I’m loving your book, I haven’t stopped looking at it. I’ve already made 2 dishes and will no doubt make something today…. It’s soo good! Thank you :-))
★★★★★
Laura
I love eggplant, even thought the rest of my family hates it. This sounds delicious so I may try it on them!
Kate
I hope they like it! Or just make this for yourself. :)
Kim
Delicious! I substituted Parmesan for the feta because my husband is lactose intolerant and everyone loved it!! Definitely a keeper!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear it was a hit, Kim! I appreciate your review.
Julie
This is a winner! Even with my oldest son, who doesn’t even like eggplant ;-)
★★★★
Lyndsay
Everything I have made from Cookie and Kate is so wonderful! This is such a great dish for any time of year. The only thing I changed was I substituted pine nuts with pumpkin seeds since those are my preference. Turned out wonderfully.
★★★★★
Molly
Hi Kate! Love your website and app! I use ours recipes a few times a week. Do you think this recipe would be good served room temp or cold? Looking for a make ahead pasta salad for a potluck
Kate
I think this could be a great cold dish for lunch!
Maria Wnorowski
Question! What would be people’s thoughts on freezing some of this? I’ve got tons of eggplant that I need to store, and this looks delicious! Appreciate the help!
★★★★
Kate
I would be hesitant to freeze this one with the pasta, but you should try my https://cookieandkate.com/best-ratatouille-recipe/!
Maria Elaina Wnorowski
Thank you for your help!
Lyndsay
This is such a wonderful weeknight recipe! I’ve made it a few times now, always when my fiancé is away because he doesn’t love eggplant. I snuck it in this week though and he loved it! The only changes I make to it are to use double the feta, and pepitas instead of pine nuts. They’re slightly more affordable and there’s more crunch which I love.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Lyndsay!
Lyndsay
This has become my absolute go-to for weeknights and leftovers on weekends. It can be made in 30min from prep to table which is ideal. I use 2-3x the in-brine feta which adds to the calories but it’s soooo tasty and worth it for me. Otherwise I don’t change anything and this is divine. It would also be awesome as a pasta salad in warmer weather!
★★★★★
Jessica Lang
Amazing!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
Jess
So yum!
★★★★★
Millie
Yummy! Made this almost exactly to the recipe but I had a lot of orange and red peppers so I roasted them also. I didn’t have fresh basil or pine nut. Still Excellent!! Thank you so much for your recipes.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Millie!
Marie-Charlotte Vatelot
Omg what a delicious way of eating Orzo. I made it with zucchini instead of eggplants as I didn’t have them handy. And I toasted the pine nuts. Perfection thank you.
★★★★★
Shana
Great recipe – delicious and easy to put together! We followed your substitution recommendations (Kalamata Olives instead of Feta and gluten free pasta instead of the Orzo) — and it was absolutely delicious! We often make your Eggplant Parmesan, and while I was searching for the recipe I found this one and decided to make something new. What another great find! I doubled the recipe – but it still left hardly any leftovers as my husband went back for 3 rounds! I must say – my all time favorite recipe of yours, is the peanut sauce over broccoli and red peppers over a bed of rice (from your cookbook) – that has become one of our favorite go-to recipes that we make almost weekly! Thanks as always!
★★★★★
Alison
This was amazing! I didn’t add the feta and it was still delicious. I served it with chicken as a side dish and it was perfect. Would definitely make again.
★★★★★
Neelie
Delicious! I substituted sundried tomatoes for the roasted tomatoes and it still worked great :)
★★★★★
Eileen
Delicious! I had all of the fresh ingredients in my CSA, so this recipe was a godsend. I used red wine vinegar instead of lemon, and it was wonderful.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Eileen! I’m glad you loved it.
Liz
I served this dish as a salad and loved it. I substituted ditalini pasta for orzo and chopped walnuts for pine nuts, since that’s what I had in my pantry. Also added lemon zest. Otherwise, I made the recipe as written. The delicious dressing is a good contrast to the sweetness of the eggplant and tomatoes.
★★★★★
Carolou
Another delicious, tasty and easy recipe! Made it for dinner tonight and it didn’t disappoint. The only thing I would do differently next time is to peel the eggplant. I found the skin too tough and hard to chew. Maybe I bought an old eggplant? Even so, it was an awesome recipe and I’ll definitely make it again. Thank you Kate for such a variety of great vegetarian recipes, complete with detailed instructions which I appreciate!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi! It may have been old, or just not picked at the best ripeness. I’m happy you were still able to enjoy it, Carolou.
Rachel
This recipe transported me to heaven! I definitely forgot to buy feta so I used goat cheese instead and I received so many compliments. Definitely very easy to make.
★★★★★
Kate
I love it! Thank you for taking the time to review, Rachel.
Janine Barclay
This is a wonderful recipe I just love it. I love the roasted vegetables and the simple dressing is the perfect compliment to it. Another amazing recipe, thanks!!
★★★★★
Kelly
Made this last night in my quest to eat more eggplant. I was pleasantly surprised and just how good it was ( and I didn’t even have the basil it called for). It will be a new regular!
★★★★★
Lisa
Solid 5 stars. My fiance who thinks that meals are not complete without meat in it thought it was spectacular! Definitely will be making this recipe again!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Lisa. I’m happy it was such a hit.
Michelle
Thank you for this fantastic recipe, it is now officially our favourite pasta and has joined our weekly menu! It is so simple to make and clean up after, and it is filling without making you feel overloaded. Love it.
★★★★★
Kate
Great, Michelle!
Sarah Telfer
yummy!
I sliced the eggplant in thin slices which creates a different texture and I used orrechiete.
★★★★★
Sunitha Gupta
Made it for lunch today and we loved it. It was so yummy . Thank you for sharing the recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy it was a hit, Sunitha! Thank you for your review.
Gloria
How do you roast eggplant? Ingredients say tomatoes shopping list says 28 oz tomatoes ie canned?
★
Kate
Hi Gloria, see step two. I hope this helps!
Colleen
This is one of my favourite pasta dishes and I have made it lots of times. Didn’t have any feta, so made it with goat cheese this time, lovely and creamy, maybe even better than with feta, but a nice change anyway. Congrats to you all on the arrival of baby Grace. Treasure the time, it goes so fast. My babies are now in their forties and grandchildren are wonderful too. But a baby in the family is so special. Thanks for all your delicious recipes, ow that it is fall, we are back to some of your yummy soups.
★★★★★
Jessica Lakin
I made this for Easter for my vegetarian family members – delicious
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Jessica! I appreciate your review.
Sherry
I first made this recipe for my boyfriend and I on one of our first dates back in 2019. To this day, it’s his favourite recipe I make! It’s a hit at every social gathering, great for meal prep, and pairs well with any grilled meat on the side, or on its own. I like to add in zucchini as well :)
So simple, yet so good! Thank you Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Sherry.
Jeanne
Made this tonight and it was delicious, fast and easy. Used kalamata olives as you suggested to make it vegan. And you are right, the eggplant was pillowy. Thanks for a recipe that was both tasty and used what was in the fridge and herb garden!
★★★★★
Daisyheadfayzie
Just made this and it’s delicious even without the feta. Loved all the flavors together.
I added Kalamata olives as suggested. I’m going to serve it cold and as a side tonight.
Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review.
Nathalie
Delish. I added the (organic) lemon peel.
★★★★★
Erin B
I made this with zucchini instead of eggplant bc that’s what I had….it was delicious!!!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Erin! I appreciate your review.