BBQ Eggplant Spaghetti

One time, our friend Angie from Angie's Big Love of Food was going to make our BBQ Eggplant Ravioli, and then she decided to simplify it. And thus, this dish was born. She fixed it with some spaghetti noodles, so it came together pretty quickly as a meal.

It got us thinking about BBQ spaghetti -- and we decided to do the very same thing for dinner this week! It's a classic dish served at the BBQ Shop on Madison Avenue here in Memphis; we want to let y'all in on the savory, spicy, and vegetarian fun with this take on it.

BBQ Eggplant Spaghetti

2 medium Italian eggplants (halved, scored lengthwise)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon Memphis BBQ Dry Rub (recipe follows, more to garnish)
1 cup Chipotle BBQ Sauce (or your favorite)
about 1/2 pound dry spaghetti noodles
shredded provolone cheese, chopped parsley (to garnish)

Drizzle the cut side of the eggplants with the canola and sesame oil and then sprinkle them liberally with the dry rub. Place eggplants onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and into a cold 350 degree oven cut-side-up for 1 hour. Flip and bake another 25 minutes or until cooked through. Allow eggplants to cool. Using your hands, pull the eggplant meat from the skin. It will be kind of stringy and really have the look of slow-cooked BBQ. This makes about1 1/2 cups "pulled" eggplant BBQ (which is also great on a bun with some BBQ sauce and slaw).

Place about 1 cup of the Chipotle BBQ sauce and 3/4 of the prepared eggplant into a large skillet over low heat. Cook spaghetti according to package directions and pull it directly from the water into the pan with the BBQ sauce. Mix until sauce is well incorporated. Serve immediately topped with a little more eggplant, a sprinkle of dry rub, cheese if you'd like, and chopped parsley.


Memphis BBQ Dry Rub:

Mix together one teaspoon of each: chipotle, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, garlic powder, salt, cumin, black pepper, brown sugar, thyme, oregano, and ancho chili. Store extra in an airtight container for six months.