Baked Eggplant Pasta
Baked eggplant pasta combines roasted eggplant, mozzarella, ricotta, basil, and rigatoni tossed with a tomato sauce and baked until golden and bubbly.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes optional
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 2 28-ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- salt and pepper to taste
For the baked pasta
- 2 medium eggplants cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound rigatoni or ziti, tortiglioni, penne, etc
- 1/4 packed cup basil leaves chopped
- 1 pound mozzarella shredded, divided
- 1 pound ricotta
- 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425f and set the racks near the middle level.
- Toss the cubed eggplant with a 3/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the eggplant out onto baking trays (probably will need 2 trays) and roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Turn the eggplant at halfway point. The eggplant is done when it is well browned and soft when pierced with a knife.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat a large saucepan to medium-low heat and add the extra virgin olive oil and the onion. Saute until soft (5-7 minutes) then add the garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes more or until fragrant. Add the hot red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the plum tomatoes and bring the sauce to a lively simmer.
- Cook for at least 15 minutes uncovered at a low simmer, stirring frequently to avoid any sticking. Taste-test the sauce and adjust salt and pepper if required.
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until 2 minutes less than al dente.
- In a very large bowl mix the pasta with 3 1/2 cups of sauce, chopped basil, all of the ricotta, Pecorino Romano, and 3/4 of the mozzarella cheese. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add 3/4 of the roasted eggplant and fold it in gently.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375f and coat a 9x13" baking dish with 1 cup of sauce. Pour the pasta into the dish and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and roasted eggplant. Add another 1/2 cup of sauce on top as well.
- Bake the pasta for 25 minutes or until browned on top. For extra color broil for 1-2 more minutes but watch carefully! Wait at least 10-15 minutes before eating so that the pasta settles. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Makes 8 moderate-sized or 4-6 large portions.
- Undercook the pasta! Fully boiled pasta will become mushy after baking for another 25 minutes, so shoot for a bit firmer than al dente or about 2 minutes less than the box instructions.
- Bake the pasta until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned on top. For extra color, broil for 1-2 minutes, but watch very carefully to avoid burning.
- Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 1041kcal | Carbohydrates: 87.5g | Protein: 41.6g | Fat: 61.9g | Saturated Fat: 21.6g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 1130mg | Potassium: 1158mg | Fiber: 11.9g | Sugar: 19.3g | Calcium: 726mg | Iron: 3mg
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