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Grilled Aubergine, Asparagus & Chilli Spaghetti

A simple recipe for spaghetti in a pimped up tomato sauce with grilled aubergine (eggplant) and asparagus.

Grilled Aubergine, Asparagus & Chilli Spaghetti



When Hello Fresh asked me to try out one of their recipes and see what I thought I was intrigued. I've heard all about them, but didn't think it was for me as I create recipes myself.

Then on reflection I realised I'm probably the same as everyone else on busy weeknights and repeat the same recipes, the ones I can make without thinking, over and over.

I'm talking about my spaghetti bolognese, my chillli, my spinach and coconut dal, a few of my soups and my basic tomato sauce for pasta. If I need a midweek recipe that's easy, I return to these again and again.

I had a look through some of their recipes and decided I'd like to try this spaghetti recipe to see just how easy and tasty their recipes are.




Grilled Aubergine, Asparagus & Chilli Spaghetti in pale blue cast iron casserole pan





Hello Fresh


Hello Fresh are a recipe box delivery service.

So how does is work?

  1. You choose your meal plan for the week from their extensive list of recipes.
  2. Next you choose your delivery time (you can order every week or skip some weeks).
  3. Fresh, pre-portioned ingredients arrive at your door, with easy to follow recipe cards.
  4. Make meal time more interesting with new dishes.
  5. You can skip weeks, as I said and cancel at anytime.


Hello Fresh (meal delivery service) meals



What I like about Hello Fresh


  1. The recipes are simple.
  2. There are new recipe boxes to choose from each week.
  3. There's a good selection of vegetarian recipes and many of them are vegan too. You can click on the recipes before you choose them and have a look at the ingredients and instructions with step-by-step photos.
  4. The recipe ingredients are portioned out so you don't buy more than you need (just think of a trip to the supermarket and how easy it is to buy too much).
  5. Less waste, you have just what you need.
  6. Less stress, your week of dinners are planned so you don't have to think about it.

My take on this is, if you want to try new meals and take the stress out of dinners, then this is a good option. 

If you're not sure, even trying for a week or two, will give you some new ideas and a bit more confidence in the kitchen.

If it's really not for you, then why not try out some of the recipes on the Hello Fresh website and pick up the ingredients yourself?


Hello Fresh (meal delivery service) meals


Readers Offer


Hello Fresh have kindly given me a code to share with you. Use this discount link and they will take £10 off your first delivery, if you want to give them a go.



pin it for later

Grilled Aubergine, Asparagus and Chilli Spaghetti. A quick pasta dish for easy midweek dinners, full of vegetables. #spaghetti #spaghettisauce #auberginespaghetti #eggplantspaghetti #asparagusspaghetti #easypastasauce #easyspaghetti #veganpasta #veganspaghetti

Grilled Aubergine, Asparagus & Chilli Spaghetti


The combination of flavours in this pasta are super tasty. I'll definitely be making this one again.


grilled aubergine and tomatoes on baking tray


The aubergine and cherry tomatoes are grilled. While the pasta is cooking, in another pan saute the sundried tomatoes and chilli flakes for a few minutes before adding tomatoes with onion and garlic.

You can buy tins and tetra packs of chopped tomatoes with onion and garlic.


asparagus tips


The asparagus is added to the boiling pasta a few minutes before the end of cooking, which saves using another pot.


Grilled Aubergine, Asparagus & Chilli Spaghetti in casserole pan



I add some of the pasta water to the sauce, before adding the cooked spaghetti for a silky sauce. And doesn't that look good?

It's probably a bit saucier than the original as I added another tetra pack of tomatoes. I do like a generous amount of sauce to pasta ratio.


Easy Eggplant, Asparagus & Chilli Spaghetti in a white bowl


Grilled Aubergine, Asparagus & Chilli Spaghetti


Grilled Aubergine, Asparagus & Chilli Spaghetti
Yield: 4-6
Author: Jacqueline Meldrum (with kind permission)
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 20 Mtotal time: 30 M
A quick, simple and tasty spaghetti sauce packed with vegetables and packed with flavour.

ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large aubergine (eggplant), chopped into 1-2 cm chunks
  • 1 punnet/250g baby plum tomatoes (or other mini tomatoes), halved
  • 5 sundried tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes with onion and garlic
  • a pinch of chilli 
  • 400g wholewheat spaghetti
  • 125g/15 asparagus tips
  • a handful of fresh parsley
  • a good grinding of salt and pepper

instructions:

How to cook Grilled Aubergine, Asparagus & Chilli Spaghetti

  1. Place the aubergine and baby tomatoes in a single layer on a baking tray, drizzle with a little oil, season with salt and pepper and cook under the grill (broiler) for 15-20 minutes until soft and starting to colour. Turn halfway through.
  2. Snap the ends off the asparagus. It will naturally break at the right point. 
  3. Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of fast boiling water according to the packet instructions until al dente.  Add the asparagus to the pot with the pasta 6-7  minutes after you add the pasta.
  4. While the pasta and asparagus are cooking,  saute the sundried tomatoes in a large frying pan or wok for a few minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until starting to thicken, then add the aubergine, tomatoes and parsley. Season with black pepper. Add half a cup of the pasta water to the sauce to make it lovely and silky.
  5. Once the pasta is ready, drain and throw the pasta and asparagus into the pan with the tomato sauce and toss to coat, then serve while hot with a grating of veggie or vegan parmesan (optional).
  6. Enjoy!
Calories
293.96
Fat (grams)
4.96
Sat. Fat (grams)
0.74
Carbs (grams)
56.66
Fiber (grams)
8.95
Net carbs
47.71
Sugar (grams)
12.88
Protein (grams)
9.58
Sodium (milligrams)
101.58
Cholesterol (grams)
0.02
spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, aubergine spaghetti. asparagus spaghetti, eggplant spaghetti, vegan spaghetti, pasta, pasta sauce, aubergine recipe, eggplant recipe, asparagus recipe
dinner
Italian, vegan
Created using The Recipes Generator


Try this next


KALE AND CASHEW PESTO SPAGHETTI

PREP TIME: 5 MINSCOOK TIME: 12 MINSTOTAL TIME: 17 MINS
A creamy green sauce for spaghetti that's super silky and coats the pasta beautifully. The pesto is homemade from kale and cashews. It's suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Disclosure: I re-created this recipe for Hello Fresh. I was not expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are my own.

20 comments

  1. This looks great! Spaghetti just got a face lift and I'm in!

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  2. What a great way to get those garden flavors into supper! I'm sure my family will love this recipe ... and they're sometimes tough to please!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The tomato flavoured sauce will definitely be a winner, even with fussy eaters and you can always chop the vegetables smaller too.

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  3. I do love both aubergine/eggplant and asparagus so this definitely sounds like a meal I would enjoy - easy and healthy helps too.

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    Replies
    1. Me too, they are great ingredient and this is a tasty dish.

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  4. Anything with aubergine and tomato in is always a winner! A recipe that's definitely worth a try, I like the addition of the sundried tomatoes.

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    Replies
    1. Yes they really work well together. The sundried tomatoes definitely added more flavour.

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  5. I made it! It was really tasty and my daughter loved it. I do not like aubergine so I used courgette instead and it was really good. I'll be making this one again. Jill

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so glad you both enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know Jill. Courgette is a good idea too.

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  6. I love all the garden fresh flavors and wonderful textures of this recipe! I could totally see my kids and husband enjoying this pasta dish in a heartbeat!

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    Replies
    1. Yes they are really good together. A really fresh tasty sauce. Yum! Hope you try it.

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  7. This would be such a fun idea to get you out of your dinner rut. So easy to have everything delivered and ready to prepare. You can even make it a date night!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it would actually be fun to unpack and make a meal following the recipe together.

      Delete
  8. This is my kind of pasta! I am loving all of the fresh ingredients!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh me too, this is so, so tasty. I'me making it again soon.

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  9. I love this recipe. It’s delicious and easy to make. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes it is both of those things. A true keeper. I hope you make it.

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  10. I love chilli, the one from Calabria is excellent for cooking in the true Italian style. Pecorino from southern Italy could be an alternative cheese to increase the Mediterranean taste of this recipe, anyway this dish is delicious!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nice tips Brian, unfortunately many of my readers are vegetarian or vegan and Italian cheese often aren't suitable as they have rennet in them, but there are good alternatives.

      Delete

I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x