Equipment
Ingredients
Produce
- 600 g eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes
- 150 g yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic, minced
- 15 g fresh basil, roughly chopped, plus extra for garnish
Pantry
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 800 g crushed canned tomatoes
- 450 g rigatoni pasta
- 2 g dried oregano
- fine sea salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Dairy
- 250 g low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 50 g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat your Oven to 200 C (400 F). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish lightly with olive oil.
Place the cubed eggplant on a Baking sheet. Drizzle with 45ml of olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly.
Roast the eggplant in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until tender and lightly browned around the edges. Set aside.
While the eggplant roasts, heat the remaining 15ml of olive oil in a Large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and saute for 5 minutes until translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and dried oregano, cooking for 1 more minute until fragrant.
Pour the crushed canned tomatoes into the saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, lower the heat, and cook for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Remove from heat, season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in the chopped fresh basil.
Bring a Large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add the rigatoni pasta and boil. Cook for 2 minutes less than the package instructions indicate, as it will continue cooking in the oven.
Drain the pasta using a Colander. Return the pasta to the pot and gently fold in the tomato sauce and roasted eggplant until everything is well combined.
Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella. Top with the remaining pasta mixture, then cover evenly with the rest of the mozzarella and the grated parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered at 200 C (400 F) for 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling up the sides and the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and let the bake rest for 10 minutes. This allows the sauce to thicken and makes serving much easier. Garnish with additional fresh basil before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Roasting the eggplant instead of frying it traditionally significantly reduces the amount of oil in the dish while still concentrating the sweet, earthy flavors of the vegetable.
- Using low-moisture mozzarella is crucial for pasta bakes. Fresh mozzarella releases too much water into the dish as it melts, which will dilute your carefully crafted tomato sauce.
- Salt your pasta water generously. It should taste pleasantly salty, like the sea. This is your only opportunity to season the pasta itself from the inside out.
- Resting the bake is not optional if you want neat portions. Straight out of the oven, the sauce is at maximum fluidity. Ten minutes of cooling allows the starches to set up.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container once fully cooled.
Freezer: 3 months — Can be frozen before or after baking. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheating: Cover with foil and bake at 175 C (350 F) until heated through, or microwave individual portions.
