August 31st, 2009 
duodishes 
There’s something about eggplants that make them super tasty. Not sure what it is, but they’re good. The fact that they are so versatile, it’s easy to work them into a variety of dishes. Carb cravings came on strong, and it was time to have a little pasta. Pasta and eggplants! Now, sometimes you have to cut corners to make things happen. Perhaps you shouldn’t do it if you’re running a marathon or taking the SAT, but we’re talking about cooking here. There are no ingredient police hanging out in our ‘hood, so it’s OK to cheat when necessary. It seems like whenever we want to do something good and fast, our friend Joe (yes, the one who is a Trader) always hooks it up! We had this really great jar of eggplant spread that hadn’t been opened, and it seemed like the next best thing to a fresh eggplant.
Disclaimer: In no way should the title of this dish cause you to think that we’ve cheated our way into the Black Weblog Awards! Nope, you voted us in, and now you have to help us win! Today’s the last day to vote, so exercise your right and pick us. Just click the icon! Oh so many thanks!
Now back to our original programming…
The funny thing about this dish is that it originally started out with chicken. That is, we planned to toss in cooked chicken breast. As we were walking through the aisles, we noticed a bag of Trader Joe’s Seafood Blend, and we were struck with the notion that a mélange of sea goodies would be the way to go. And that is how this huge pasta dish was studded with gems of the sea rather than landlubber chicken. We daresay either one would’ve been delicious. Perhaps even tofu next time? This is a very flexible dish, so have at it. Thanks to that eggplant in a jar, we were able to get all the flavors we were looking for without taking another trip to the grocery store. If you have any favorite ‘cheats’ that you use in the kitchen, we’d love to hear!
Seafood and Eggplant Fettuccine – Serves 8
1 pound whole wheat fettuccine, cooked
1 pound Trader Joe’s Seafood Blend (bay scallops, shrimp, calamari rings)
1 orange bell pepper, minced
6 ounces fresh spinach, roughly chopped
12 ounces Trader Joe’s Eggplant Garlic Spread
1/2 yellow onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fat free sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Kosher salt
1. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in a very wide pan or wok on the stove and set to medium heat. When hot, add garlic, bell pepper and onions.
2. Once veggies begin to soften, add frozen seafood. Cook for 3-5 minutes or seafood begins to turn opaque.
3. Add pasta, spinach, eggplant spread and sour cream. Stir to incorporate and heat through, cooking for another 3-5 minutes.
4. Toss with red pepper flakes, rosemary and parsley just before serving.
Click HERE for the printable recipe.
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Voting done!
I love eggplants and pasta, recently I had dinner on Eurostar train: Spinach and ricotta tortellini with aubergines, pesto and tomato coulis… it was delicious and since that time I can’t stop thinking of making some aubergines with pasta… maybe today, thank you for inspiration!
MMMMMM,..;this meal looks so yummie!
Sometimes, I use a bought Bertolli tomato sauce & add fresh sauteed vegetables to it !
Okay that sounds delish, perfect for my tastes!
this sounds very flavorful and easy to make. I have to admit I have not done much with eggplant, so this is an excuse to do more.
i use to add vegetables and lotsa cheese!
i shud try with egg plant!! m sure it will taste heavenly!! perfect idea!!
That looks delicious! I love pasta and eggplant, and the seafood makes it really special!
There are times when only a dish of pasta will satisfy … especially one as yummy as this. Inspired use of that eggplant spread, Duo!
I love an eggplant spread (eggplant caviar similar to one my grandma used to make) that my parents get in a Russian store sometime, and I will definitely check out the Trader Joe’s one. The pasta sounds yummy!
I LOVE Eggplant!!! And in pasta…even better!! By the way, marathon runners need carbs, so this would be a perfect dish for an avid runner!!
Yum! What a great idea to use the eggplant spread in the sauce! It looks pretty healthy too (as far as pasta goes). Good job!
Yum, sounds delicious. Wonder if i could get my hubby to eat eggplant if it was hiding in this dish!
mmmmmm!! that looks so hearty and tasty, I love the idea of using the eggplant spread as the sauce
So glad you didnt go for the chicken! Yum!
MMMM sounds delicious to me! And I voted for you!! good luck!
Eggplant and pasta. That’s one things I haven’t done yet. I think you guys may have just given me an idea. ;-D
I’ve actually never tried egg plant. I should try it again and see if I like it now.
That eggplant spread sounds pretty good!
OMG! This looks really good. I haven’t heard of Eggplant garlic spread, so I am looking forward to trying it. I will have to pair the dish with a TJ chardonnay.
I love eggplant and in my pasta is one of my favorites! Great idea using the spread in the sauce. Perfect quick weeknight dinner dish!
“landlubber chicken” – haha, very very nice. I may have to borrow that sometime!
I like the idea of playing with tofu in this dish. Especially after my meatfest this weekend!
So the verdict on the eggplant spread? Yay?
Looks great! I get annoyed that Trader Joe’s changes their product lines too much though.
I don’t call this cheating! I call it positively delicious! Such a great idea. I have a jar of bruschetta that may meet the same fate!
i loved fully that prawn fettuccine, looks delicious..never tried with whole-wheat but sounds very healthy and being healthy is paramount in our days..well done thanks for sharing xxx
I’m a huge fan of eggplant…this is great!!! I so wish we had a TJs near me.
Sometimes cooking “on the fly” produces some of the best dinners.
Here’s a way I “cheat” to pull together a quick appetizer : Puree a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, stir in some grated Parmesan cheese and spread on a whole wheat tortilla. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese and top with another tortilla. —a delicious quesadilla ready to cook!
OMG this dish sounds so good, thanks so much for sharing.
Nice looking dish…you two aren’t bad either
I laughed when you said your friend Joe…then I feel right into that Trader joke! One opened up near me finally, but I have not made it inside yet…
Love eggplants too! It just soaks up whatever sauces you give it and the texture is lovely.