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 thing bakes up scorching and bubbly in a casserole dish! 

Searching 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 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 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 totally loaded. There’s fistfuls of freshly shredded mozzarella and an entire tub of ricotta to guarantee 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 recent basil doesn’t damage.
• It’s fast. Sauté your substances, then add all the pieces 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.

Components You’ll Want

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

• Pasta – I exploit penne pasta, however nearly any kind 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 greatest. If wanted, you possibly can substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per recent clove.
• Eggplant – Select two smallish eggplants with clean skins and no blemishes or delicate 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 can even 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 desire. In the event you don’t have ricotta, cottage cheese makes substitute. Substitute 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.

Tips on how to Make Eggplant Penne Pasta

Lastly, it’s time to carry the very best eggplant penne pasta to life. Comply with 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 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 outdoors of the oven for a couple of minutes earlier than slicing.

Serving Recommendations

I really like serving this baked eggplant pasta with an enormous 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 luxuriate in. This do-it-yourself 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 possibly can shortly reheat parts within the microwave, or you possibly can heat this pasta below foil within the oven.

Extra Eggplant Recipes