The roasted eggplant gives the sauce body without making it heavy, while the tomatoes and peppers keep it bright.

Ingredients

Roasted Vegetables

• 3 medium tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1/2 yellow or orange bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 small eggplant, peeled if desired and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 small red onion, quartered
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Seasoning

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Creamy Sauce

• 3/4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup warm chicken broth or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
• 1 small handful fresh basil
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Pasta

• 6 to 7 ounces tagliatelle nests, penne, farfalle, or spaghetti

Instructions

1. Roast the vegetables

Preheat the air fryer to 390°F.

Add the tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, red onion, and cherry tomatoes to your air fryer. Drizzle with olive oil, then add the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

Toss everything well, making sure the eggplant gets lightly coated in oil and seasoning. Air fry for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned around the edges.

2. Blend the sauce

Add the softened cream cheese, fresh basil, Parmesan, and 1 cup warm broth to the roasted vegetables.

Blend directly in the dish with a hand blender until smooth and creamy. You can also transfer everything to a regular blender, blend until smooth, then pour the sauce back into the baking dish.

The sauce should be loose enough to cook the pasta. If it looks too thick at this point, add another splash of broth.

3. Add the pasta

Place the dry pasta into the sauce and gently press it down so it is mostly covered.

If using tagliatelle nests, turn them a few times in the sauce so the strands begin to separate. If your dish is small or the pasta is not staying submerged, penne or farfalle will cook more evenly.

4. Cook the pasta in the sauce

Cover the dish loosely with foil and air fry at 350°F for 15 minutes.

Carefully remove the foil, stir the pasta well, and check the texture. Add a splash of broth if the sauce has thickened too much or if the pasta still feels firm.

Return to the air fryer and cook uncovered for another 5 to 8 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and coated in the creamy roasted eggplant sauce.

5. Finish and serve

Stir everything well before serving. Taste and add more salt, black pepper, Parmesan, or red pepper flakes if needed.

Top with fresh basil and extra Parmesan. Serve warm.

Save this creamy veggie pasta to your Pinterest board so it’s easy to find the next time you need a cozy, simple dinner idea.

Notes

Eggplant soaks up oil quickly, so toss it well with the tomatoes and peppers instead of adding too much extra oil. As the vegetables roast, the tomatoes release juice and help soften the eggplant.

Short pasta shapes like penne and farfalle are the easiest choice for this recipe because they stay submerged better. Tagliatelle works too, but it needs a good stir halfway through cooking.

For a richer sauce, use chicken broth. For a lighter flavor, vegetable broth works fine.