Skip to main content

Eggplant Marinara Pasta Casserole

This was very tasty. Maybe a tad dry - I might add another small can of diced tomatoes to this recipe. But otherwise, really tasty and easy to put together!

Eggplant Marinara Pasta Casserole
Cooking Light 

6 c eggplant, cubed (about 1 lb)
1 tsp salt, divided
2 c onions, chopped
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c wine
1 T basil, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained (again, I would increase)
16 oz penne pasta, uncooked
1 c fontina cheese, shredded (4 oz)
1 3" piece baguette
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated (2 oz)


Cube eggplant. Place in a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Let set 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450. Arrange eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with Pam. Bake 30 minutes, stirring after 15. Remove from baking sheet to cool.

Add oil to a Dutch oven. Cook onion and garlic for about 6 minutes, to soften. Add wine and cook until liquid evaporates, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Stir in basil, oregano, salt, pepper and diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover partially, lower heat to keep at a simmer, and cook 20 minutes.


Remove from heat and add eggplant.

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain, reserving 1/4 c of cooking water. Add reserved water to the tomato mixture and stir well.

Spoon pasta mixture into a 13x9" casserole dish coated with Pam. Sprinkle evenly with fontina.

Place baguette in a food processor. Pulse 10 times, or until you have about 1 1/2 c crumbs. Add parmesan to processor and pulse. Sprinkle this mixture over the casserole dish.

Bake at 450 for 12 minutes, or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Vegetable Quinoa Bake

  Vegetable Quinoa Bake The Global Vegetarian 1 T canola oil 1 yellow onion, chopped 8-10 button mushrooms, sliced 1 green bell pepper (or red), seeded and diced 1 jalapeno , seeded and minced 1 zucchini, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 c water 1 1/2 c quinoa, rinsed and drained 2 c butternut squash, peeled and diced 1 c carrot, peeled and diced 1 c kale, spinch or escarole, chopped 1 1/2 T parsley, dried 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper Preheat oven to 400. In large saucepan, heat oil. Add onion, mushroom, pepper, jalapeno zucchini and garlic and saute 5-7 minutes. Stir in water, quinoa, squash, carrots, kale and seasonings and bring to a boil. Transfer mixture to a 9x13" casserole dish and cover. Bake 30-40 minutes, until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from oven. Fluff with fork. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Summary thoughts: I found this dish to be overall a bit bland at first. In the future, I m...

Curried Chicken Soup

      I made this soup so often in the 1990s, but frankly had forgotten about it.   Flipping through this cookbook, I found this recipe and was flooded with memories. When I was in grad school, this soup was my "feeling decadent" food and reminded me of something people might eat after hitting the slopes -- a thing I have never done. A few decades long, and with a lot more experience with cooking, I realize that this is basically a chicken curry with a thin sauce and the rice already in the meal -- but don't let that in any way discourage you! It's delicious as is and is a wonderful take on what is otherwise chicken and rice soup. I have become a fan of using rotisserie chickens, especially during the pandemic. They are so cheap, and I can use the meat in a soup like this on the day-of grocery shopping, and, crunch the bones down for the freezer for making stock in the future. Of course, this soup can be made with a fresh chicken, but I have modified the recipe bel...

Tortellini with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

I've been making this dish for guests for years. This is, sadly, part two of the dinner-with-no-photographs. I'm sure I'll be making this again soon, at which point I'll update this post with pics. Tortellini with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce The Silver Palate Cookbook 1 1.2 c dry white vermouth 2 1/4 c heavy cream pepper pinch freshly ground nutmeg 2 T salt 1 1/2 lb tortellini 1/2 lb Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (do not skimp on quality) 1 1/2 T Parmesan, grated Bring vermouth to a boil in a small heavy saucepan and reduce by half. Add heavy cream. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Season to taste with pepper and nutmeg. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until reduced by one-third. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook tortellini until tender. Drain pasta and return to warm pot. Remove cream sauce from the heat. Stir in the cheeses. Pour sauce over the tortellini. Set over medium heat and cook gently, stirring constantly, for 5-8 minutes, o...