Charred Eggplant Pad Thai

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the noodles. Trim and chop the eggplant into 1 inch cubes; if you’d like, sprinkle the chopped eggplant with salt to draw out the water. Chop the scallions into 3 inch pieces. Hand tear the basil leaves.

Once the water is boiling, add the rice noodles. Turn off the heat. Stir the noodles occasionally until they are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and run under cool water to stop the cooking process.

Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels and shake off any excess salt. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped eggplant and cook, tossing occasionally, until charred in places, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the chopped scallions and cherry tomatoes to the skillet with the eggplant and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cooked rice noodles and tamarind pad Thai sauce and cook until the sauce is sticky, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Halve the lime and add the juice from half to the noodles, off of the heat. Cut the remaining lime into wedges. Serve the Charred Eggplant Pad Thai on large plates and top with the basil, lime wedges, and peanuts. Enjoy!