If you're craving a flavorful and easy vegan pasta dish, look no further than this Ajvar pasta recipe! Inspired by Balkan cuisine, and with just six ingredients, it's so easy to make. It includes a smoky ajvar sauce made from red peppers, aubergine and a whole bulb of garlic. This dish is sure to satisfy your taste buds.
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🌟 Why this recipe works
Simple homemade ajvar sauce - ajvar sauce is a classic Balkan relish that can also be used in full meals, like this easy pasta recipe. This recipe has been simplified so you don't need a grill or open flame to make this ajvar sauce - which also makes it safer and less labour intensive! Another simple pasta recipe is this delicious mushroom pasta and this tofu pasta too.
Hidden vegetables - even though this ajvar sauce recipe features 5 red peppers and an aubergine (eggplant) it's actually a very smooth sauce once it is ready! So it has many hidden vegetables in it. Making it a great option for kids' meals or people that struggle to eat a wide variety of veggies.
6 ingredients - ajvar sauce with pasta is so easy to make, it only needs 6 ingredients! And they're mostly just pantry items that are available at almost all grocery stores too! So there should be nothing holding you back from making this ajvar pasta.
📋 Ingredient notes
Pasta - any type of pasta will work, fresh or dried. And also any type of shape will work. We went with rigatoni but penne, spaghetti or fusilli all work well too.
Red peppers - it wouldn't be ajvar sauce without roasted red peppers! The recipe calls for 5 red peppers. That sounds like a lot, but trust us because it does need that many! They're great in this Hungarian goulash too.
Aubergine - or eggplant for our American pals. You'll need just one roasted eggplant, and we've included the weight as they come in all different sizes. Also goes great in this brinjal bhaji.
Garlic - a whole bulb is needed! If you don't like garlic as much, feel free to reduce the amount. However, this ajvar pasta recipe is lush with a whole roasted bulb. So, even though it sounds like a lot, as it is roasted the intense garlic flavour mellows out whilst cooking.
Vinegar - white vinegar or white wine vinegar will work, but either way, it is a key ingredient for this recipe. We use white vinegar as it's a more common ingredient. White wine vinegar is a little softer and more mellow, but it still works well.
🔪 How to make ajvar pasta
This is a step-by-step overview with photos for making ajvar pasta. The full recipe, along with measurements and detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
1. Preheat the oven to 230°c/450°f. Optionally, slice the top off the entire bulb of garlic, then place it on a small sheet of foil, drizzle some olive oil all over it (around 2 teaspoons) and then wrap it up in the foil.
2. Pop the peppers and aubergine, along with the wrapped garlic if you're roasting it, on a baking sheet and roast for 30-60 minutes.
Turn halfway through the cooking time. Depending on your oven, it may take a little bit longer or little less time to cook the veggies. The garlic needs to be soft but not burned and the red peppers should have charred black skins, so the time will vary depending on the oven, the type of tray and how much space the peppers have. The aubergine eggplant should be very soft too.
3. Remove the vegetables from the oven and put the peppers and aubergine in a large bowl. Cover with tin foil for around 5 minutes, to allow them to sweat. This will make it easier to peel the skins off.
4. Peel the skins off of the peppers and the aubergine. Discard the skins, as they are not needed.
5. Put the pasta on to cook, according to the package directions. Usually, this should mean cooking pasta in salted water for around 10 minutes until al dente.
6. Place the skinned vegetables in a food processor to first make a roasted red pepper paste, and then add garlic (squeezed out of the bulb), oil, white vinegar and salt and pepper. It should be a vivid / orange color.
7. Blitz up all of the ingredients in the processor until almost smooth. It can be a little chunky still.
8. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and then stir the ajvar sauce through the pasta until well coated. It should still be hot, if not place the pan over a medium heat and gently warm until it's a temperature that you're happy with. Serve with parsley or fresh basil and then top with vegan parmesan cheese.
👩🍳 Expert tips
Roasting the garlic - traditionally, there's no need to cook the garlic. Traditional ajvar sauce recipes use raw garlic, but we like the mellow flavour of the roasted garlic. It goes much better with the roasted red pepper and aubergine in my opinion.
Fresh herbs - again, there isn't fresh herbs included in a traditional ajvar recipe. We think fresh basil or parsley works well as a garnish though!
Olives - some people like to add olives to this dish. It's not my preference but go ahead and add them if you would like to try this variation!
Storage - ajvar pasta keeps in the refrigerator for 3 days in an airtight container.
Top tip - once you have drained the pasta, don't rinse it in fresh water. This means that the starch will stay on the pasta. Therefore the sauce will stick to each piece of pasta much better!
💭 FAQs
Ajvar is a versatile and delicious condiment that can be used in a variety of ways. It can be used as a dip for fresh vegetables, crackers or bread, and as a topping for tofu or other protein. Ajvar can also be added to pasta, soups and stews to give them an extra boost of flavor.
Ajvar sauce is typically made from red peppers, eggplant, garlic, vinegar, and other savory ingredients that are blended together to create a thick and flavorful relish. Some variations of ajvar may also include other ingredients such as chili peppers or tomato paste.
There are many ways to enjoy ajvar! This tasty condiment can be used as a dip for fresh vegetables, crackers, or bread, and also makes a great topping for tofu. For a unique twist, try adding ajvar to pasta dishes or use it as a marinade for roasted vegetables. Ajvar can also be used as a spread on sandwiches or wraps for a delicious and flavorful addition to your lunch. Additionally, it can be stirred into hummus or other dips to add a pop of flavor.
Ajvar can be enjoyed both hot and cold, depending on personal preference. It can be served cold as a dip or spread, or heated up and used as a sauce for all sorts of dishes including pasta, in stews or on roasted vegetables.
🥗 Serving suggestions
Optional extras for this dish include:
- Fresh basil
- Vegan grated parmesan
- Kalamata olives
- Vegan feta
- Sun dried tomatoes
🍝 More pasta recipes to try
📖 Recipe
Ajvar Pasta
Ingredients
- 6 red peppers - halved and core/seeds removed
- 1 aubergine - halved and topped/tailed
- 1 bulb garlic - top sliced off or 6 raw cloves if not roasting the garlic
- 2 tablespoon olive oil + extra for roasting the veg
- 2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 300 g pasta
- Sea salt & black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 230°c/450°f.
- Optionally slice the top off the entire bulb of garlic, then place it on a small sheet of foil, drizzle some olive oil all over it (around 2 teaspoons) and then wrap it up in the foil.1 bulb garlic
- Pop the peppers and aubergine, along with the wrapped garlic if you're roasting it, on a baking sheet and roast for 30-60 minutes.6 red peppers, 1 aubergine
- Turn halfway through the cooking time. Depending on your oven, it may take a little bit longer or little less time to cook the veggies. The garlic needs to be soft but not burned and the red peppers should have charred black skins, so the time will vary depending on the oven, the type of tray and how much space the peppers have. The aubergine / eggplant should be very soft too.
- Remove the vegetables from the oven and put the peppers and aubergine in a large bowl. Cover with tin foil for around 5 minutes, to allow them to sweat. This will make it easier to peel the skins off.
- Peel the skins off of the peppers and the aubergine. Discard the skins, as they are not needed.
- Put the pasta on to cook, according to the package directions. Usually, this should mean cooking in salted water for around 10 minutes until al dente.300 g pasta
- Place the skinned vegetables in a food processor with the roasted garlic (squeeze the garlic cloves out of the bulb), olive oil, white vinegar and salt and pepper.2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 teaspoon white vinegar, Sea salt & black pepper
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and then stir the ajvar sauce through the pasta until well coated. Serve with parsley or fresh basil and then top with vegan parmesan cheese.
Mary-Anne
I dont have a gas stove so I loved the instructions for charring the peppers in the cooker. Thanks!
Jess & Dan
That's great Mary-Anne, so glad you found that useful! Jess 💚