This spicy pasta is the perfect thing to warm you up on a cold night. The pasta is tossed with a spicy harissa sauce, thinly sliced fried aubergine and plenty of crumbled feta.
We are obsessed with this pasta 🍝
It's just so spicy and comforting and packed with ridiculous levels of flavour. It's also ridiculously easy to make which is exactly what we need at the moment.
Right now I'm just desperate for Christmas to arrive so I can have a break from the bizarreness that has been this year and when it gets to the end of each day easy dinners are what I'm after.
We were so pleasantly surprised by how tasty this bowl of pasta was. It's spicy from the harissa, salty from the feta with plenty of zippiness from the lemon juice and dill. All in all a big bowl of deliciousness.
Why we love this spicy pasta...
First of all, it's so quick and easy to make. Get your pasta cooking while you fry up the aubergine and you'll be 20 minutes away from a big bowl of pasta.
It's a healthy vegetarian pasta dish which is ideal for a weeknight dinner.
You could use this recipe as a guide and mix in all kinds of extras from your choice of veggies to proteins like cooked chicken or sausage.
This is a great make ahead recipe as the spices really develop over time. Just save a little feta to sprinkle over when you're ready to serve.
Harissa Pasta Ingredients
This section is here to provide further tips and ideas for alternative ingredients. The full recipe and instructions are included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post!
Harissa: You can adjust the amount of harissa paste you use according to how spicy you like it. Taste a little bit before you start cooking if you haven't used it before.
Sauce Mix: As well as the harissa you've got tomato puree, cumin and lemon juice mixed together for the perfect level of tang and spice.
Aubergine (Eggplant): Slice your aubergine crossways using a mandolin for really thin slices which are then fried in plenty of olive oil until soft and browned.
Pasta: Choose whichever cut of pasta you like. I went for a new one to me called gigli which worked so well with all the other ingredients so I would recommend if you can get your hands on it!
Feta & Dill: Crumble feta and chop dill over the top of the pasta for a lovely salty, herby finish.
How to make spicy pasta with harissa
Make the sauce: Whisk together the garlic, harissa, tomato puree, cumin, lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Fry the aubergine: Heat olive oil over a high heat and fry the slices of aubergine until softened and browned.
Mix everything together: Turn the heat down under the pan and add the sauce followed by the pasta and tablespoons of pasta water. Add the aubergine and toss well. Top with feta and dill to serve.
Equipment you need to make this recipe...
Want more? Try these other pasta recipes!
- Creamy Tagliatelle with Squash & Sausage
- Mushroom Orzo with Beetroot & Feta
- Prawn Linguine with Tomatoes & Feta
- Quick & Easy Pasta Puttanesca
- Orzo Risotto with Tomato & Mascarpone
- Instant Pot Ranch Chipotle Chicken Pasta
- Vodka Pasta Sauce with Sun Dried Tomato
Spicy Pasta with Harissa & Aubergine
Ingredients
- 4 cloves Garlic crushed
- 2-4 tbsp Harissa depending on how spicy you want it
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 Lemon juiced
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil for frying
- 1 small Aubergine thinly sliced using a mandolin
- 200 g Pasta
- 50 g Feta crumbled
- 10 g Dill chopped
Instructions
- Put a pot of water on the heat for the pasta. Mix together the garlic, harissa, tomato puree, cumin and lemon juice and set aside. Heat an inch of olive oil in a wide skillet over a high heat and fry the sliced aubergine in batches until golden on both sides adding more oil as needed. Place the fried aubergine on a paper towel lined plate and season with plenty of salt.
- While the aubergine is frying cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Reserve a mugful of pasta water before draining.
- Once all the aubergine has been fried turn the heat down and add the harissa mixture. Add the pasta and the pasta water a tablespoon at a time tossing until the sauce coats the pasta. Return the aubergine to the skillet and toss again. Remove from the heat and serve topped with feta and dill.
Notes
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Charla says
This looks and sounds delicious and it's the perfect weather here for a spicy pasta dish.
Tawnie says
I had everything on hand to make this and it was so amazing! Will be making again.
Carrie Robinson says
I bet this is so flavorful! Definitely adding this to my weekly dinner plan soon. 🙂
Tara says
Oh yum! What a wonderful combination of flavors in this pasta. Definitely perfect for cooler nights. Love the contrast of spicy with the crumbled feta on top.
Beth says
This looks so delicious and tasty! I can’t wait to give this a try! My family is going to love this recipe!