Fresh summer vegetables like eggplant, bell pepper, and tomatoes are used in this delicious recipe.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant, stem and ends removed, cut into ½ inch thick rounds
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and medium diced
• 1 tomato, halved and cut into ¼ inch thick pieces
• 1 red onion, small diced
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 bunch oregano, stem removed and roughly chop the leaves
• 1 cup fregola Sarda pasta
• 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, tear into bite-sized pieces
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons eggplant bake spice blend (garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, and crushed Aleppo pepper)

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.
• Once water is boiling add in pasta and cook for 16 minutes or until tender.
• Remove from heat and drain thoroughly and return to the same pot.
• Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
• Add in eggplant slices in a single layer, season with salt and pepper and cook for 6 o 8 minutes or until tender and browned, flipping occasionally.
• Transfer to a platter and carefully wipe out the pan with a paper towel.
• Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in the same pan and add in onion, bell pepper, salt, pepper, and spice blend.
• Cook for 6 minutes or until vegetables are softened and fragrant.
• Add the oregano, mozzarella cheese, cooked aromatics, lemon juice, and a drizzle of olive oil to the pot of cooked pasta, toss to thoroughly combine.