Baked Rigatoni With Eggplant Parmesan Food

CHEESY EGGPLANT AND RIGATONI BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook rigatoni according to package instructions but keep it slightly more al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking water, then drain and rinse pasta under cold water, and transfer to a large bowl while you cook the eggplant.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, oven-proof skillet over medium. Add half the eggplant, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until golden brown on all sides, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the rigatoni. Repeat with 2 tablespoons olive oil and remaining eggplant and transfer to the bowl.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in red-pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and their juices, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you add them. Cook until the tomatoes are very soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved pasta cooking water, adding up to 1 1/2 cups as needed to create a silky sauce.
• If the skillet is large enough, add the rigatoni and eggplant mixture, Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup basil and toss to coat. Otherwise, add the tomato sauce, Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup basil to the large bowl with the rigatoni and eggplant, toss to coat and then return to the skillet or transfer to a greased baking dish.
• Top with remaining 3 cups mozzarella and bake until the sauce is bubbling on the sides and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes. Top with grated ricotta salata and torn fresh basil to serve.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish with oil. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan, heat olive oil. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook for another another minute or two until soft.
• Add the eggplant, season with salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the crushed tomatoes with juices.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook until the sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a pot of salted boiling water, cook the rigatoni until al dente.
• Drain, reserving about a cup of cooking water.
• Return pasta to the pot, stir in the sauce mixture, reserved cooking water, ricotta, and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
• Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and arrange the mozzarella slices over top and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes until bubbling and browned on top.
• Let stand for 5 minutes.
• Add fresh basil and red pepper flakes before serving.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN WITH RIGATONI

Steps:

• For the sauce: Add the olive oil, crushed red pepper, onion and salt to taste to a medium saucepan. Turn on the heat to medium and saute the onions until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, garlic, 1/4 cup water and more salt to taste. Stir to combine and allow to cook down until the sauce is reduced and the flavors have melded, 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the eggplant: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Peel the eggplant lengthwise, alternating every inch so there are still some strips of skin remaining. Slice the eggplant into 1/2-inch rounds and arrange on a sheet tray. Season the eggplant on both sides generously with salt and set aside.
• Set up a dredging station with three bowls: place the flour into one bowl, eggs into another and panko in the third. One at a time, dip the eggplant rounds into the flour first, then the eggs and finally the panko. Press the breading into the eggplant to ensure it is fully coated. Place on a sheet tray lined with a rack.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan until it shimmers. Add the eggplant in batches and cook until golden brown, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain the eggplant on a paper towel-lined tray. Drain the oil from the pan and set the pan aside for later.
• Top each piece of eggplant with a spoonful of sauce and a slice of fresh mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is just melted, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
• For the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the pasta water generously with salt. It should be as salty as the sea. Add the rigatoni and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• To finish, add a few scoops of sauce to the saute pan that the eggplant was cooked in. Add the cooked rigatoni and toss in the sauce, ensuring all of the noodles are coated. Add the Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
• To serve: Plate 2 pieces of the eggplant Parmesan alongside a generous scoop of rigatoni and finish with the fresh basil. Enjoy!

BAKED RIGATONI WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Prepare oven-dried tomatoes:
• Skin the tomatoes by placing them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then plunging them right away in ice water. This will help you remove the skin without cooking the tomatoes. Using a paring knife, peel the skin off the tomatoes and then cut them in 1/2 lengthwise. Place the tomatoes in a bowl, sprinkle with alt and add the thyme and 2 ounces of olive oil. Arrange the tomatoes with the thyme sprigs on a non-reactive baking pan. Leave enough space around the tomato halves so they don't touch, allowing air to circulate and dry them out. Put them in a 300 degree F oven to dry for 2 hours.
• Prepare the garlic:
• Place the garlic cloves in a small pot and cover with 2 cups of olive oil. Simmer very slowly for 40 minutes, until the garlic is soft. Remove them from the oil and set aside at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Prepare the eggplant:
• Slice the eggplant into 1-inch rounds. Put them in a bowl and sprinkle generously with salt. Drizzle olive oil over them and toss. Arrange the rounds on a baking pan, leaving enough space between each slice so that they cook evenly. Bake until they are soft and slightly brown, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare the pasta:
• In a large pot, bring to a boil 4 quarts of salted water. Add the rigatoni and cook until "al dente" or even slightly undercooked, about 6 to 8 minutes. Since the pasta will be cooked in the oven, it's important not to overcook the pasta in the boiling water. Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with a little olive oil to prevent them from sticking. Set aside.
• Assemble and bake dish:
• Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the pasta, eggplant, tomato, garlic, scallion and basil and mix well. Add the ricotta and toss gently so that the ingredients are distributed among the pasta but that the ricotta is not completely mixed through. The idea here is to have distinct and differing flavors, so it is important that the ricotta be spread in roughly tablespoon size pieces. Season, if necessary, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Transfer to a large greased earthenware or glass baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake in the oven until the pasta is brown and crisp on top, about 10 to 15 minutes.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH EGGPLANT AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta. Get yourself a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Heat a 2 count of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and toss in the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes, you want them nicely browned on the outside but still rare on the inside. Put the sausages in the baking dish.
• Turn the heat down to medium. Add a generous 1/3 cup of oil to the skillet and get it hot. Add as many eggplant pieces as you can comfortably fit in a single layer and sprinkle well with salt. Cook, turning, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the eggplant is nice and browned, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Use a spatula to put the eggplant into the baking dish with the sausage. Cook the rest of the eggplant pieces, adding more oil to the pan, as needed, and putting the finished eggplant into the baking dish.
• Add another 2 count of oil to the skillet, then your onion and garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Dump the whole can of tomatoes and their juices into a bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands to break them up; add that to the pan with the basil and cook it down until pulpy and relatively thick. This will take about 15 minutes.
• By this time your pasta water will be boiling. Add the rigatoni, give it a stir, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, it should be slightly firm as it will cook further in the oven. Ladle out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve; the drain the rigatoni.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Chop the sausages into nice big, bite-size chunky pieces and return the pieces to the baking dish. Add the tomato sauce, rigatoni, and the reserved pasta water. Break up half the mozzarella over the mixture, season with salt and pepper, and gently mix with your hands or a spatula. Dust with the Parmigiano and drizzle with more olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Spread the remaining mozzarella in an even layer over the top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

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.

RIGATONI WITH EGGPLANT PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red
• pepper flakes. Spread the vegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes.
• While the vegetables are roasting, place the pine nuts in a small baking dish. Place in the oven on the rack below the vegetables. Roast until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.
• Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the torn mint leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Puree the vegetables.
• Transfer the pureed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta and add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cooking liquid 1/2 cup at a time until the pasta is saucy. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top and serve.

RIGATONI WITH ZUCCHINI AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°.
• Boil pasta according to package directions, cooking until just barely tender (a little undercooked is better than overcooked). When it's done, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water before draining the pasta.
• While the pasta's cooking, sauté the eggplant, zucchini, onions, bell pepper and garlic in 2 tablespoons water in a nonstick pan over medium heat, adding more water if needed to prevent sticking. When the vegetables are tender, add the reserved pasta cooking water, 1 teaspoons basil, 1 teaspoons oregano, the rosemary, 1 teaspoons salt, tomatoes, and tomato sauce; stir, and keep warm.
• Combine the mashed tofu with the pine nuts, parsley, nutritional yeast, and remaining basil, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir the cooked rigatoni into the tofu.
• Lightly coat a 4-quart casserole with vegetable oil spray. Spread a thin layer of the vegetable mixture over the bottom (you just want a little sauce there to keep the pasta from sticking). Place a layer of half the pasta mixture, then cover with half the sautéed vegetables; repeat layers.
• Cover the casserole and bake it for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes. Before serving, sprinkle with soy Parmesan cheese, if you want.
• This is a great dish to serve to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Unfortunately, if you bring it to the Unitarian church in my town, you won't have any leftovers to bring home!

BAKED RIGATONI WITH ZUCCHINI AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Cook the rigatoni in a large pot of salted water, stirring occsasionally, until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot while preparing the sauce.
• Puree the tomatoes with their juices in a blender or food processor and remove the seeds by passing the puree through a fine strainer placed over the bowl.
• In a large non-stick skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.Add half of the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove eggplant and place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat procedure with remaining eggplant.
• Remove vegetable oil from skillet and add the olive oil. Over medium heat, saute the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the zucchini and onion and saute' for 6 minutes.
• Add the tomato puree, basil, and oregano. Simmer over medium heat until sauce is reduced, about 15 minutes. Stir in eggplant and season`with salt and pepper.
• Fold eggplant and zucchini sauce into the rigatoni along with mozzarella and reserved cooking water.
• Transfer the pasta to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.
• Serve the pasta piping hot.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH EGGPLANT AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta.
• Oil a 9x13 pan with olive oil.
• Heat a 3 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the sausages and toss in the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes, you want them nicely browned on the outside but still rare on the inside. Put the sausages in the baking dish.
• Turn the heat down to medium.
• Add 1/3 cup of oil to the skillet and get it hot. Add as many eggplant pieces as you can comfortably fit in a single layer and sprinkle well with salt. Cook, turning, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the eggplant is nice and browned, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Use a spatula to put the eggplant into the baking dish with the sausage. Cook the rest of the eggplant pieces, adding more oil to the pan, as needed, and putting the finished eggplant into the baking dish.
• Add another 3 Tbsp olive oil to the skillet, then the onion and garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent.
• Dump the whole can of tomatoes and their juices into a bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands to break them up; add that to the pan with the basil and cook it down until pulpy and relatively thick. This will take about 15 minutes.
• Add the rigatoni to the boiling pasta water, give it a stir, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, it should be slightly firm as it will cook further in the oven. Ladle out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve; the drain the rigatoni.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Chop the sausages into nice big, bite-size chunky pieces and return the pieces to the baking dish. Add the tomato sauce, rigatoni, and the reserved pasta water.
• Break up half the mozzarella over the mixture, season with salt and pepper, and gently mix with your hands or a spatula until combined.
• Dust with the Parmigiano and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Spread the remaining mozzarella in an even layer over the top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

RIGATONI WITH TOMATO, EGGPLANT, & RED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Warm 2 Tbsp of the olive oil in a saucepan over moderate heat, add the onion, cover, and cook until tender: about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, red pepper, and garlic, cover, and cook for a futher 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, reduce the heat, and cook slowly, uncovered, until the excess liquid has evaporated and the sauce is thick and puree-like (about 20-25 minutes). Season to taste with salt and black pepper and keep warm.
• Pour 4 1/2 quarts of water into a large pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Drop in the pasta, give it a quick stir, then let the water boil steadily until the pasta is al dente: tender but not soft right through. Bite a piece to check.
• Drain the pasta but leave some water clinging to it, and return it to the hot pan with the remaining olive oil and a good seasoning of salt and black pepper. Toss the pasta to coat it with the oil.
• Pour in the sauce and toss the pasta once more. Serve at once, with flakes of Parmesan if desired, and basil leaves to garnish.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) PARMESAN RIGATONI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.
• Dredge the eggplant slices in the flour, shaking off any excess. Add enough eggplant to the skillet to fill it without crowding, and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side.
• Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt, & freshly ground black pepper.
• Repeat with remaining eggplant slices, and more oil. Let cool, then cut into 1/2" strips. Set aside.
• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain and return to the pot.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until golden, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, salt & freshly ground blaack pepper,(don't overdo with seasonings) and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce to the cooked pasta and toss to coat, then stir in the mozzarella.
• Divide the pasta among shallow bowls and top with reserved eggplant strips, basil or parsley, and Parmesan.

RIGATONI WITH EGGPLANT, MUSHROOMS AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium high. Stir in mushrooms, and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the eggplant, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth and olives. Season with thyme, salt and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes, or until eggplant is tender. Toss with pasta and goat cheese.