Cheesy Eggplant And Rigatoni Bake Recipes

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.

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 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.

CHEESY RIGATONI BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; return to pot. Cool slightly., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour and salt until smooth; gradually whisk in milk and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat., Add eggs to pasta, tossing to coat. Divide mixture between two greased 8-in. square baking dishes. Layer each dish with one can tomato sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and half of the white sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 160°, 30-35 minutes. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casseroles. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 375°. Cover casserole with foil; bake 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°, 7-10 minutes.

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.

RIGATONI WITH ITALIAN EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the eggplant and cook. Continue stirring until softened, about 3 more minutes.
• Add tomatoes, with liquid, breaking them up with the back of spoon. Stir in wine, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
• Bring large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta until al dente; drain. Toss pasta with sauce in pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Serve on a large platter and top with grated Romano cheese.