I think you all probably know how much I love cumin, love lamb and love eggplant but I never really thought of the three of them together until I read about this recipe in the April issue of Food & Wine magazine. Yep, this recipe is a winner, as are so many of their recipes! It’s not very pretty when it’s done but boy is it good! I made this dish the week before last when Bianca was in town and she was having a quiet night at home with just Steve and me. Or should I say, we got to have her to ourselves for one night, lucky us! And you know when Bianca says a pasta dish is great (being from Arezzo in Tuscany), you know you hit a winner and that’s what I did with this Cumin, Lamb and Eggplant Pasta dish! The recipe is actually from another blogger, Ashley Rodriguez, who is being featured in the publication. Way to go Ashley!
I really have to thank Food & Wine for initially turning me on to cooking with a vengeance. You see, when we moved to New Jersey when our boys were 6 and 3, the restaurant food out there just wasn’t NYC and I really got tired of paying large restaurant bills for the four of us for mediocre food. So I promptly subscribed to Food & Wine, adopted the “I’ll show you” attitude, and started cooking away. In those days, my favorite was Lee Bailey. He used to do a column, “Dinner for a Busy Weeknight.” I still have many of those torn pages, soiled with olive oil drips and whatnot. I’ll never forget, one of my very first “gourmet meals” was his Pasta with Shrimp and Arugula recipe from that feature. It’s still a good recipe! (More on that later) He even accompanied it with dessert – sliced oranges with crushed amaretto cookies – simple and delish!
I have tweaked Ashley’s recipe a bit – cut down on the oil and pumped up the garlic, cumin and oregano. Here you go – not quite pretty but oh so tasty! And home-grown Italian approved, thanks to Bianca!
CUMIN, LAMB AND EGGPLANT PASTA – serves 4 – 5
Adapted from ASHLEY RODRIGUEZ and Food & Wine magazine
2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 medium eggplant (1 pound), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 heaping tsp. dried Greek oregano
1 heaping tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika, preferably hot (Pimenton Ahumado)
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Kosher salt
1 lb. ground lamb
1/4 cup tomato paste
3/4 cup chicken stock
12 ounces gemelli
1/2 cup zero fat plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup chopped mint
In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the onion and cook over low-moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 – 12 minutes. Increase heat to moderate. Add the eggplant, garlic, oregano, cumin, paprika and crushed red pepper and season with salt. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the lamb and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Increase the heat a bit and add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for at least 2 minutes to get the flavor to “bloom”. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the sauce is thickened, about 12 minutes.
Cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Stir the pasta into the sauce; add 1/4 cup of the reserved cooking water if necessary; (I didn’t) add more water if a thinner sauce is desired. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the yogurt and mint. Taste and season with salt if necessary (I didn’t) and serve hot.
Eggplant, Mozzarella and Oil-cured Black Olive Spaghetti
Best turkey & giblet gravy ever!
Easy Lamb Stew
Mother’s Day Dinner with Cornish Hens and Sauerkraut 
Fillets of sole with sorrel
Major yum! I never can get enough of pasta and eggplant! 🙂 ela
Me too Ela!! I LOVE eggplant!
Now THIS is my kind of dish. I love the flavor combination and you’ve made a dish that’s often difficult to photograph really good looking!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef recently posted…In My Kitchen, April 2014
Thanks Maureen. I know it looks a little slimy but it was SO good!
FYI Mary
The email link was broken for this entry. I was able to reach it by going to your site first.
Pasta looks delicious. Especially so, with the addition of eggplant.
I like food & Wine, also.
Jovina Coughlin recently posted…Cooking Lentils
Thanks Jovina for the heads up on the link. We figured out the problem and fixed it. Food & Wine is great – isn’t it?!
Everything about this dish looks delicious to me. Love the addition of smoked paprika!
Yes, Ian, I love that spice too!! My husband, not so much, BUT he did like this dish very much and I didn’t tell him it was in there until we had finished eating!
I love the combination of ingredients of pasta, eggplants and lamb. It must have a nice rich flavor. Looks delicious.
wok with ray recently posted…Samalamig and Gulaman
Wow! A simple recipe that sounds simply delicious. Can’t wait to try it with a Chianti from 2004 or 2006!
That would definitely work! It was really delicious! And quick too – only 40 minutes start to finish.
THIS was a winner. Give it a go Ray!
Hello Mary – this looks like a real winner and I will be giving it a go this weekend. I love cumin as a flavouring and use it all the time to add a husky warm note to “bland” foods. Thanks for sharing – can’t wait to try it!
Selma @ Selma’s Table recently posted…‘Tennis’ Turkey
Selma! Do let me know how you like it!! Enjoy! Also, try my cauliflower with cumin recipe – super simple, super delicious!! https://lovethesecretingredient.net/2012/09/01/you-voted/
Hi Mary – thanks for the link to the cauliflower – loved the nursery rhyme too! I am just about to post a roasted cauliflower dish to my blog – next time will use cumin – but do take a look at Tennis Turkey – it has cumin in it…
Selma @ Selma’s Table recently posted…‘Tennis’ Turkey
Selma – Tennis turkey sounds great – will definitely try it! Thank you.
Very interesting combination. It looks and sounds delicious! Cumin is such a great spice to work with. Thanks for sharing!
Danielle @ theCHARMITspot recently posted…CHARM IT! Photo Props
Thanks Danielle!! Yes cumin is one of my faves!
Love cumin, lamb and eggplant too, this looks like a wonderful pasta dish. Great find.
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz recently posted…The Liver Experiment: the round up and final thoughts
It was a great find, Evelyne! If you love these things, you definitely must try this dish!
I love eggplant but my kids aren’t huge fans. They will eat parmigiana. And that’s about it. I love it in everything and Indian food has a lot of great recipes for eggplant plant. And cumin!
This pasta looks wonderful! I would definitely enjoy this.
Coffee and Crumpets recently posted…Pan Cubano | Cuban Bread
I bet your kids wouldn’t know that eggplant is in here, unless they saw you peel it. Try it – I bet you’ll all love it!
You had me at “cumin” 🙂 But then when I read lamb and eggplant I knew this recipe was going straight on my “to cook” list without even having to see the recipe. Oh, I cannot wait to try this!
afracooking recently posted…Skillet Bread with Buckwheat and Quinoa
🙂 🙂 🙂 It’s a good one Afra!!
I love Food and Wine…and I certainly would have never come up with this combination of flavors myself, either! It sounds fantastic! Maybe this is the way to get the hubby to eat eggplant?
Liz recently posted…Quiche Maraîchère #FrenchFridayswithDorie
I would give this a shot Liz – particularly because you peel the eggplant – just don’t let him see you doing that. It’s a really yummy dish!
What a beautiful mix of flavours Mary! Love the idea of this recipe!
Margot | Gather and Graze recently posted…A Birthday Celebratory Cheesecake
It’s a good one Margot!
I haven’t used lamb with pasta, Mary, and that’s remarkable being I’ve added just about everything else to a pasta dish. You’ve piqued my curiosity, though, with this one. There’s a wonderful mix of flavors and I cannot get enough eggplant. This is one dish I’m sure to try.
ChgoJohn recently posted…Maltagliati Pasta with Pistachio Pesto
I’m so surprised at you John as you make so many pasta dishes with lots of different proteins! You might also like my lamb ragu – https://lovethesecretingredient.net/2011/09/26/amazing-lamb-ragu/
This looks like comfort in a bowl! Yum! I always forget about lamb, but we love it when I do make it!
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen recently posted…Spicy Chipotle Peanut Butter Peanut Brittle
Kristi – “comfort in a bowl” is so right on! You nailed it!
Scrumptious! I am on a bit of a pasta quest at the moment with all my running so this lovely meal has me salivating.
Have a lovely day.
🙂 Mandy xo
Mandy – The Complete Book recently posted…Red Lentil Dahl
Oh yes Mandy – do give this a try!
I actually made this dish yesterday and loved it! I used a tin of peeled tomatoes instead of puree, added some more spices and cooked it for about an hour, but what an AMAZING combination the mince and the aubergine make. Love it!
afracooking recently posted…Baid Mutajjan – Middle Eastern Fried Hard Boiled Eggs a Guest Post by Vanya
So glad to hear!!! Thank you for writing about it, Afra!
Wow, what a terrific combo of flavors! I combine cumin and lamb all the time, and sometimes with eggplant. But never in a pasta! Gotta try this — thanks so much.
John@Kitchen Riffs recently posted…Celery Root (Celeriac) and Potato Gratin
This is really really good, John! Give it a go – especially since you already combine three of the four!
this pasta looks irresistible…so scrumptious with cumin, lamb and eggplant together…we have had that combination of ingredients in a curry a few years back….so can imagine how amazing it will taste with pasta….a comforting dinner, thanks so much for sharing…Have A Great Day!!! 🙂
Kumar’s Kitchen recently posted…Appetizing Masala Chaas, A Re-Energizing Sip For Summers 🙂
As Kristi said above – it’s really comfort in a bowl!
Mary I was just talking with mom about this delicious pasta!!!! I am so glad you wrote the recipe because now I can ask mom to make it 😀
You are an amazing cook, no doubt about it. Must say you are one of the best!
I always love visiting you guys in NYC because I can spend family time with you and Steve as well as eating really really great food!!
Miss you <3 and the waffles too!
You’re so sweet Bianca!! We miss you too – come back soon!!
The connection between our emotions and the weather is fascinating, especially how nostalgic and poignant memories can resurface on dreary, rainy days. It’s intriguing how a simple environmental cue like rain can bring back such vivid memories and even affect our mood so deeply. Your story is a poignant reminder that sometimes, our gloom isn’t just from the weather but from the echoes of past experiences and the disappointments of the present, like the heartbreaking loss of a beloved team. It’s okay to give yourself space to feel those emotions deeply.
John Gatesby recently posted…Treatment in Long COVID Syndrome