You might have heard of the classic cheeseburger pasta. This is my vegetarian version of this using aubergine and mushroom instead of ground beef to get a similar texture.
How to make vegetarian cheeseburger pasta
Cut the onion, aubergine and mushrooms into smaller pieces and cook together in some oil. Stir in the flour to help bind the sauce.
Add tomato sauce, bouillon cube, water and tomatoes. Stir to dissolve the flour into the sauce.
Now it is time to add the pasta, along with the spices. Stir the pot so that the pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Place the lid on your pot and let come to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. Stir frequently to avoid the pasta sticking to the bottom. Simmer for about twelve minutes before checking the pasta is al dente.
Now it is time to make this pasta dish the cheesy, gooey dish to become a true cheeseburger pasta dish. Turn the heat off the pot and stir in shredded cheese until it has melted.
Serve hot with a piece of garlic bread.
Which pasta shape is best for cheeseburger pasta
For best result use small shaped pasta such as pasta shells, as I used in the recipe. However I have used other pasta shapes as well such as penne and fusilli, with an adequate result. If you do not have pasta shells at home, other shapes works in a pinch. Adjust the cooking time as necessary if you use other shapes of pasta.
Substitutes
If you do not like mushroom, they can be omitted. I have made it both with and without mushrooms. When testing the recipe I had some mushrooms left over from another dish so decided to add them. As it made a nice addition to the rest of the dish, I decided to redo the recipe and add in the finely diced mushrooms.
Freezable
This dish freezes very well in an airtight container for up to three months. To reheat, let it rest in the fridge for up to eight hours and then add back to the sauteuse to heat it through. Add some more cheese for a more gooey consistency when reheating.
Variations
There are several really good meat versions of cheeseburger pasta recipes out there. Search for your favourite at any recipe sharing site. Some that I have tried and enjoyed over the years are budgetbytes version and also this cheeseburger soup from Taste of home.
Vegetarian cheeseburger pasta
Ingredients
- 1 onion yellow, diced
- 2 aubergine 550g, peeled and chopped
- 300 g mushroom finely chopped
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp flour
- 250 ml tomato sauce passata
- 2 bouillon cubes
- 500 ml water
- 250 g cherry tomatoes halved
- 225 g pasta shells
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 200 g cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Dice yellow onion
- Peel aubergine and dice in to small pieces.
- Finely chop the mushrooms.
- Cook onion, aubergine and mushroom in oil in a sauteuse or other wide brim pot for 5 minutes.
- Halve cherry tomatoes.
- Add flour and sitr into aubergine mix, cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomato sauce/passata, bouillon cube, water and halved tomatoes.
- Stir to mix all ingredients and to dissolve flour.
- Add the uncooked pasta to the pot with salt and oregano. Stir to combine.
- Place a lid on the sauteuse and let simmer for 12 minutes. Stir every now and then so pasta does not stick to the bottom.
- Check pasta is al dente.
- Turn off the heat and add in shredded cheese, stir until melted.
- Serve while hot.