Baked Pasta With Tomatoes And Eggplant Recipes

PASTA ALLA NORMA (TOMATO AND EGGPLANT PASTA)

Steps:

• Heat up the olive oil, then stir in the eggplant, making sure it all gets coated in oil. Let cook, stirring occasionally, for about ten to fifteen minutes.
• Add the garlic and chili flakes to the pan and cook, stirring, for a couple more minutes.
• Add the tomatoes to the pan, then crush them and break them up with a wooden spoon. Pour in the balsamic vinegar, then add the sugar/honey. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the eggplant is nice and soft.
• At the end of the cooking time, season well and stir in most of the basil.
• Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to the packet instructions (until al dente is best). Then drain, reserving some of the water.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and toss until well coated. Add enough of the reserved cooking water to make the dish nice and smooth and 'silky'.
• Rip the mozzarella into the pan and stir again briefly.
• Serve out into bowls immediately. Top with grated parmesan and the remaining fresh basil.

EGGPLANT, TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season aggressively with salt. Add the rigatoni and cook 3 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Toss the eggplant and tomatoes with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread on the baking sheet and roast until the eggplant is golden brown and tomatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)
• Toss the rigatoni with the eggplant, tomatoes, about 1/4 cup pasta water and the marinara sauce in a large bowl. If it looks dry, add the remaining pasta water. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella.
• Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish and top with the remaining cup mozzarella and the Parmesan and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. (Turn the broiler on at the end if you want the cheese to brown more.) Garnish with additional Parmesan and the chopped basil and serve.

BAKED EGGPLANT AND PANCETTA PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add both cans of tomatoes and 1 cup water. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat slightly, add the basil and simmer rapidly, uncovered, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the basil and season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl using a slotted spoon. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the eggplant to the pancetta drippings and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the pancetta.
• Cook the cavatappi in the salted boiling water until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl with the pancetta and eggplant.
• Add the tomato sauce, half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan to the bowl and stir well to combine. Transfer the pasta mixture to a 3- to 4-quart baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until browned, about 15 minutes. Let the pasta stand about 10 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN EGGPLANT TOMATO BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a plastic bag, combine the flour, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning. Shake to mix. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and water. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. There should be enough oil to thinly coat the bottom of the skillet. Dip the eggplant slices in egg, then place in the bag and shake to coat. Fry the slices in the skillet until golden brown on each side. Remove, and drain on paper towels.
• Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9 inch square baking dish. Cover with the eggplant slices, then top with more sauce. Mix together the ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese; spread over the eggplant. Spread sauce over the cheese, and top with tomato slices. Cover with more sauce, and spread remaining cheese over the top.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Serve the eggplant tomato bake over pasta.