Pasta recipes: rigatoni with rapini and penne with grilled eggplant

Pasta is a delicious meal option whether you're eating alone or cooking for a group. These simple recipes contain an extra boost of healthy vegetables.

The plentiful vitamin C in this combination of vegetables boosts the immune system to help your body fight infection.

Preparation 10: minutes

Cooking time: 12 minutes

Serves 4 

• 350 g (12 oz) rigatoni
• 2 small bunches rapini, tough stems removed and leaves cut crosswise into pieces 2.5 cm (1 in) wide
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced crosswise1 medium yellow pepper, seeded and cut lengthwise into thin strips
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 125 ml (1⁄2 c) golden raisins
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) red pepper flakes
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) salt
• 8 cloves roasted garlic
• 12 cherry tomatoes, each cut in half
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 ml (1⁄4 tsp) black pepper
• 50 ml (1⁄4 c) grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water until al dente, following package instructions. Add the rapini to the pot for the last five minutes of cooking time. Drain pasta and rapini.
2. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, scallion, raisins, red pepper flakes and salt. Sauté until vegetables are crisp-tender, or four minutes. Add roasted garlic. Sauté for one minute, then remove from heat.
3. Return pasta and rapini to the pan. Add pepper mixture, tomato and nutmeg. Sprinkle with the black pepper and Parmesan.

Per serving: 514 calories, 21 g protein, 7 g fat (including 2 g saturated fat), 4 mg cholesterol, 4 g carbohydrates, 6 g fibre, 506 mg sodium.

First salting and then grilling, instead of frying, keeps eggplant from absorbing too much oil and reduces the total fat.

Preparation: 15 minutes

Standing time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Serves 4

• 500 g (1 lb) eggplant, cut lengthwise into slices 2.5 cm (1 in) thick
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 750 g (1 1⁄2 lb) ripe plum tomatoes, halved, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 5 g (1 tsp) chopped fresh oregano or 2 g (1⁄2 tsp) dried, crumbled
• 10 ml (2 tsp) balsamic vinegar
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) sugar
• Non-stick olive-oil cooking spray
• 250 g (1⁄2 lb) penne
• 50 ml (1⁄4 c) shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Sprinkle eggplant slices with half the salt. Leave salted, on a plate, for a least 30 minutes to draw out liquid.
2. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic. Cook, stirring, one minute.
3. Add tomato, oregano and remaining salt. Increase heat to medium. Cook just until tomato is softened, or about six minutes. Stir in vinegar and sugar. Cook a further 30 seconds.
4. Preheat broiler or barbecue. Rinse eggplant slices and pat dry. Lightly coat both sides of eggplant with cooking spray.
5. Broil or barbecue eggplant 10 centimetres (four inches) from heat until softened and, if barbecuing, dark grill marks score the surface — about five minutes each side. Set aside to cool slightly.
6. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of lightly salted boiling water until al dente, following package instructions. Drain. Toss with the tomato mixture. Coarsely chop eggplant and add to pasta mixture. Stir in Parmesan. Serve hot.

Per serving: 362 calories, 13 g protein, 10 g fat (including 2 g saturated fat), 4 mg cholesterol, 59 g carbohydrates, 7 g fibre, 406 mg sodium.