Eggplant Aubergine Rigatoni Bake Food

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.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) RIGATONI BAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 400 degrees.
• Grease a 13 x 9-ich baking dish.
• Brush the eggplant slices with oil.
• Arrange in a single layer in prepared baking dish.
• Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Remove from oven; set aside.
• Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees.
• In a large skillet, stir beef over medium heat to break up the meat, drain any fat.
• Add in zucchini, green pepper, onion and garlic; cook, stirring until the beef is browned.
• Add in the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and cinnamon, stirring to break up tomatoes.
• Reduce the heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
• Spoon over eggplant.
• In a bowl, stir together the cooked rigatoni, soup, milk and the Monterey Jack cheese until blended.
• Spoon over the beef mixture.
• Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese.
• Cover baking dish with foil.
• Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes; uncover, and bake for 10 minutes longer.

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!

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.

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.

RIGATONI WITH BEEF AND EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)

Steps:

• Place eggplant in colander and weight down with plate to drain juices.
• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add onions and mushrooms, cook, stirring frequently until softened.
• Add ground beef, breaking up with spoon; cook until browned.
• Drain well, then transfer to bowl.
• Add eggplant and broth to same skillet; cover and cook 5 minutes.
• Uncover; add garlic, salt, thyme and red pepper; cook 2 minutes.
• Stir in vinegar.
• Reduce heat to medium; add tomatoes and beef mixture, breaking up tomatoes with spoon.
• Cover, simmer 5 minutes to blend flavors.
• Toss with rigatoni and parsley.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) ROLLATINI

Steps:

• Spoon the ricotta into a fine strainer placed over a bowl in the refrigerator for several hours. Discard the excess liquid. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread thin coating of olive oil on 3-4 baking or cookie sheet pans, or reuse the same pan several times.
• Put the flat end of the eggplant down onto the cutting board. Slice the eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices, to make about 15 slices. Beat 4 of the eggs. Add salt and pepper to season eggs. Coat each eggplant slice with flour, then dip into the beaten eggs, drain any excess egg mixture, then coat with bread crumbs and lay flat on baking sheet.
• Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• You may have to bake them in batches. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
• Combine ricotta, remaining egg, garlic, basil, parsley, 3/4 of the mozzeralla cheese and 1/2 cup of the grated Romano or Parmesan in a bowl. Mix well. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Spoon 1 cup of tomato sauce onto the bottom of a small baking dish. Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling onto the wide end of each piece of eggplant. Then, roll up each piece and place into the baking dish.
• Top with remaining tomato sauce, mozzarella, and grated Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, until the tomato sauce is bubbling and the filling is hot. Let them rest for 15 minutes before serving.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) AND ZITI PARMESAN

Steps:

• Sprinkle the eggplant with salt. Place the eggplant in a colander, and let it drain for 30 minutes.
• Rinse the eggplant, and pat it dry.
• Cook the ziti al dente according to the package directions.
• Drain and rinse the pasta, and set it aside. Combine the oil and garlic, and smear it on the eggplant slices.
• Then sprinkle the slices generously with pepper.
• Broil the eggplant slices about 4 inches from the heat, turning them once, for a total of about 5 minutes.
• (You may have to do this in 2 batches.) In a large bowl, combine the ricotta or cottage cheese, all but 2 tablespoons of the parmesan, the parsley, basil, oregano, and pepper flakes.
• Toss the cheese mixture with the ziti.
• On the bottom of a 2-= to 3 quart casserole, spread a thin layer of tomato sauce, add half the ziti mixture, then half the eggplant slices, then half the remaining tomato sauce. Repeat the ziti, eggplant, and sauce layers.
• Top with the reserved 2 tablespoons of parmesan.
• Cover the casserole, and bake it in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.
• Remove the cover, and bake the casserole for another 15 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
• .

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.

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Brush eggplant slices evenly with olive oil.
• Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and tender.
• Remove from oven, and finely dice the eggplant slices.
• In a medium bowl, combine the chopped eggplant pieces with the garlic, egg whites, parmesan, feta, breadcrumbs, basil and parsley and green onions.
• Add the salt and pepper in quantities at your discretion.
• Mix everything well and place in the refrigerator 20min to firm up.
• (Note: add this stage you may adjust the mixture by adding more breadcrumbs if it does not hold well together).
• Divide the mixture into 6-8 equal portions, and shape into a flattened ball.
• Coat with flour.
• Fry the fritters in shallow oil for 2 mins on either side, till they are golden brown.
• Serve with a salad, lemon wedges and a yoghurt sauce to dip into, if preferred.

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.

RIGATONI WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT PUREE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees with rack in the middle. Linea baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Cut eggplants in half lengthwise and score flesh sides in a crosshatch pattern with a small sharp knife. Brush with 1 tablespoon of oil and season with generous pinch of salt and pepper. Arrange eggplant cut-side down on prepared baking sheet and bake, rotating pan once halfway through, until tender. About 45 to 50 minutes.
• Transfer baking sheet with roasted eggplant to wire rack. Turn eggplant halves cut-side up; let cool 5 minutes, then scrape eggplant flesh from skins; discard skins. Place flesh in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl; let drain 10 minutes. Discard liquid.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• In center of cutting board, mound parsley, pine nuts, garlic and oregano; finely chop mixture together.
• In a large skillet, heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add parsley mixture, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes. Stir in eggplant and cook 1 minute more. Remove skillet from heat.
• Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente; drain and transfer to a large serving bowl. Add eggplant mixture and cheese; toss to combine well. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately.