Eggplant Pasta

This baked eggplant pasta is a straightforward weeknight dinner full of tender chunks of eggplant and penne pasta with juicy tomatoes and melty ricotta and mozzarella cheese. Every part bakes up sizzling and bubbly in a casserole dish! 

On the lookout for extra scrumptious eggplant pasta recipes? Strive my eggplant lasagna and this tremendous simple vegetarian eggplant parmesan. So good!

This baked eggplant pasta is my weeknight casserole model of pasta alla norma, or Italian eggplant pasta with tomatoes! This recipe is fast to arrange and even faster to vanish from the plate (simply ask my husband, the pasta FIEND). I like that I could make the sauce simply in a skillet, after which simply toss it with cooked penne earlier than a fast bake, just like baked feta pasta. This eggplant pasta is tacky, simple, and scrumptious. As in, the proper weeknight consolation meals!

Why I Love This Eggplant Pasta Recipe

• There’s loads of cheese. I LOVE Italian cheeses, and this eggplant pasta comes absolutely loaded. There’s fistfuls of freshly shredded mozzarella and an entire tub of ricotta to be sure that each chunk is tacky and scrumptious.
• Savory flavors. This penne pasta recipe is wealthy and garlicky, with chunks of earthy eggplant and juicy tomatoes all through. You don’t want something fancy. A sprinkle of contemporary basil doesn’t damage.
• It’s fast. Sauté your substances, then add the whole lot to a casserole dish and bake. I’ve TikTok to thank for this simple baking methodology! It’s similar to the viral baked feta pasta and this spaghetti casserole.

Elements You’ll Want

Listed below are some fast notes on what you’ll have to make baked pasta with eggplants. Scroll all the way down to the recipe card for a printable substances record with the total quantities.

• Pasta – I exploit penne pasta, however nearly any sort of pasta will work on this recipe. Different good selections are rigatoni, ziti, or shells.
• Olive Oil – Or one other cooking oil, for sautéeing.
• Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is finest. If wanted, you possibly can substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per contemporary clove.
• Eggplant – Select two smallish eggplants with clean skins and no blemishes or gentle patches. You’ll want to scrub them and cube them up into cubes.
• Tomatoes – I exploit canned diced tomatoes, juice and all. You need to use freshly diced tomatoes in case you’d like. You too can use canned fire-roasted tomatoes for an additional layer of taste.
• Cheese – I like a mix of part-skim ricotta and shredded mozzarella cheese. You need to use full-fat in case you want. For those who don’t have ricotta, cottage cheese makes a great substitute. Exchange mozzarella with shredded cheddar in a pinch.
• Basil – You’ll positively need to use contemporary basil! Dried is ok, however the taste simply doesn’t examine.

Methods to Make Eggplant Penne Pasta

Lastly, it’s time to deliver the very best eggplant penne pasta to life. Observe these easy steps for a hearty, tacky dish!

• Prep. Whereas the oven preheats, boil the pasta al dente, then drain it.
• Sauté. Add diced eggplant to a skillet with olive oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and prepare dinner over medium-high warmth to get the eggplant good and tender. Then, stir within the canned tomatoes.
• Make it tacky. Now, take the skillet off the warmth and stir within the ricotta and mozzarella cheese.
• Assemble. Add the cooked pasta to a greased baking dish. Add the eggplant and tomatoes and stir that round. I like to combine in some contemporary basil right here, too. Lastly, drizzle the pasta with olive oil and prime with extra cheese.
• Bake. Bake your eggplant pasta at 425ºF for about 20 minutes. As soon as the cheese is melted, relaxation the pasta bake exterior of the oven for a couple of minutes earlier than slicing.

Serving Solutions

I like serving this baked eggplant pasta with an enormous basket of sliced focaccia bread for the fam, and a facet of shrimp Caesar salad or Mediterranean salad. It’s additionally nice with a traditional Macedonian appetizer of stuffed grape leaves or rooster skewers dressed with creamy taratur sauce. Simply pour your self a tall glass of Pinot Grigio for the event and luxuriate in. This selfmade coconut baklava is the very best dessert to complete your meal!

Storing and Reheating Leftover Pasta

• Refrigerate. Retailer any leftover baked eggplant pasta lined within the fridge for as much as 3 days. 
• Reheat. You’ll be able to shortly reheat parts within the microwave, or you possibly can heat this pasta beneath foil within the oven.

Extra Eggplant Recipes