Rezept
Zubereitungszeit ca. 51 MinutenVorbereitung ca. 15 MinutenKochzeit ca. 36 Minuten
Zutaten:
- 12 ounces rigatoni
- 1 large eggplant (just over 1 pound)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups tomato basil pasta sauce
- ¾ pound fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Arbeitsschritte:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the package directions indicate for an al dente consistency.
- Drain the pasta and return it to the empty pot.
- Slice the eggplant into short sticks, about ½-inch wide.
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the eggplant sticks and cook for 8-10 minutes per side, stirring occasionally, until tender and starting to brown.
- Remove from the heat, sprinkle with the ¼ teaspoon salt, and toss.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Spread about ¼ cup of sauce on the bottom of a medium baking dish. Set aside.
- Separate ¼ cup of eggplant, ¼ cup of sauce, and ¼ cup of cubed mozzarella and set them all aside.
- Add the black pepper and the larger quantities of eggplant, mozzarella, and sauce to the pot, reserving the separated ¼-cup quantities for later. Stir to combine evenly with the pasta. Taste and adjust for salt and black pepper.
- Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish.
- Distribute the reserved sauce, eggplant, and mozzarella on the surface of the pasta.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the pasta bake sit for about 5 minutes before serving.