Tuna and Fried Eggplant Pasta

There are many ways in which you can create a simple pasta dinner. One of these ways is using whatever is on hand in your kitchen. I looked in my kitchen to see what I could throw together for a simple sauce. I had eggplant, canned tuna, and tomatoes. With these ingredients I made a simple tomato sauce with canned tuna and fried eggplant.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of eggplant, cut into fourths
cup of cherry tomatoes
one can of canned tuna
one small onion diced
two cloves of garlic minced
teaspoon of chili flakes
tablespoon of dried basil
tablespoon of dried thyme
olive oil
pasta, whatever kind you like
chopped fresh parsley
black pepper
salt
tablespoon of tomato paste
water

Method:

In a pasta pot, heat up water to boil the pasta. While the water is coming to a boil, fry the eggplant slices in olive oil. Cook until both sides are golden brown. This should take about 3 to four minutes per side. the eggplant is ready to remove when they are golden brown and a fork can go through the flesh without resistance. Set the fried eggplant aside for later use. In the same frying pan, cook the diced onion in a little bit of olive oil for about 4 to 5 minutes. After 4 to 5 minutes, the onions should be soft. Next add the garlic and the chili flake. Cook until the chili flake and garlic are fragrant which should only take about a minute or two. Next add the cherry tomatoes. Cook the cherry tomatoes for about 3 minutes or until they become soft. Add about a half cup of water to the pan and start mashing the tomatoes. This will create the basis for your sauce. When the tomatoes are fully crushed, add the tomato paste and mix to combine thoroughly. Add salt and black pepper to taste. The finishing touch for the sauce is the canned tuna which adds some protein to the dish. Make sure to drain the tuna so that none of the liquid remains. Add the tuna to the sauce and set aside while the pasta cooks. When the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta and finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. For serving, place the pasta and sauce in a bowl. Garnish the pasta with the fried eggplant and chopped fresh parsley. If you would like to serve the pasta with a side salad and garlic bread be my guest. This is an easy dish to make and I hope you try it soon. Enjoy!