Eggplant Pasta

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

In search of extra scrumptious eggplant pasta recipes? Attempt 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 really like that I could make the sauce simply in a skillet, after which simply toss it with cooked penne earlier than a fast bake, much like baked feta pasta. This eggplant pasta is tacky, simple, and scrumptious. As in, the right 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 make it possible for each chew 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 recent basil doesn’t harm.
• It’s fast. Sauté your components, then add all the things to a casserole dish and bake. I’ve TikTok to thank for this simple baking technique! It’s similar to the viral baked feta pasta and this spaghetti casserole.

Elements You’ll Want

Listed here are some fast notes on what you’ll must make baked pasta with eggplants. Scroll all the way down to the recipe card for a printable components listing with the complete quantities.

• Pasta – I take advantage of penne pasta, however nearly any sort of pasta will work on this recipe. Different good decisions are rigatoni, ziti, or shells.
• Olive Oil – Or one other cooking oil, for sautéeing.
• Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is finest. If wanted, you’ll be able to substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per recent clove.
• Eggplant – Select two smallish eggplants with easy skins and no blemishes or smooth patches. You’ll want to scrub them and cube them up into cubes.
• Tomatoes – I take advantage of canned diced tomatoes, juice and all. You should utilize freshly diced tomatoes when you’d like. You may as well 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 should utilize full-fat when you favor. For those who don’t have ricotta, cottage cheese makes a very good substitute. Exchange mozzarella with shredded cheddar in a pinch.
• Basil – You’ll undoubtedly need to use recent basil! Dried is ok, however the taste simply doesn’t evaluate.

Find out how to Make Eggplant Penne Pasta

Lastly, it’s time to convey the most effective 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 cook 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 recent basil right here, too. Lastly, drizzle the pasta with olive oil and high 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 Strategies

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

Storing and Reheating Leftover Pasta

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

Extra Eggplant Recipes