Baked Eggplant Parmesan Pasta
This eggplant pasta recipe is a mash-up of two totally delicious comfort foods in one dish: Eggplant Parmigiano and macaroni and cheese. It features crunchy breadcrumb-crusted eggplant, marinara sauce and a creamy blanket of cheese, all baked in the oven. Buon Appetito!
Ingredients
Cheese sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups (475 ml) whole milk
- ¼ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Eggplant and pasta
- ¾ pound (350 g) eggplant, about 1 medium or 2 small peeled
- 1 egg
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2½ cups (270 g) panko breadcrumbs or coarse dry breadcrumbs
- Olive oil
- 12 ounces (340 g) dried pasta shells orecchiette or similar shape
- 1 cup (240 ml) marinara sauce
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup (85 g) shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, about 1/2 pound
- ¼ cup (15 g) chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
Make the cheese sauce
- Heat a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Add the butter and heat until foaming subsides and butter is melted. Whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly pour in milk while whisking. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat and cook 5–10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in ¼ cup of the Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and set aside.
Eggplant pasta
- Preheat oven to 450 (230 C) degrees. Bring a large (4-6 quarts) pot of water to a boil and add 3 tablespoons salt.
- Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, then slice each in half again to make four wedges. Slice crosswise into ½-inch thick pieces.
- Whisk together egg, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic, and oregano in a large bowl. Add eggplant and toss to coat. Dredge eggplant in the panko crumbs on a cookie sheet.
- Place a large rimmed baking sheet on the oven rack and heat for 10 minutes — it may warp a bit, but don't worry.
- Carefully pour enough olive oil over the bottom of the preheated baking sheet to cover to a depth of ¼-inch. Lay eggplant on the pan and roast 12 minutes. Flip eggplant slices over with a spatula, and roast an additional 10 minutes or until eggplant is tender and crust is golden.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain.
- Lower oven temperature to 400 (200 C) degrees. Combine the pasta with the cheese sauce in the saucepan, then transfer to a large casserole or baking dish. Top with the eggplant (and any crisp crumbs in the pan), marinara sauce, ¼ cup Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Bake 12-15 minutes, until hot and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Notes
- This is a hearty dish that will easily feed a hungry table of 4, with leftovers.
- Keep this in mind for a weekend dish, since it does involve multiple pots, pans and baking sheets.
- Save time by using prepared marinara sauce and making the white cheese sauce up to 2 days ahead (keep refrigerated).
- To freeze: Mix the cooked pasta and cheese sauce in a large, freezer-friendly baking dish. Top with the eggplant, marinara sauce, remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Cool completely, cover securely and freeze up to 1 month. Bake directly from the freezer at 375F until hot, about 25-30 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 363kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 16gFat: 8gSodium: 493mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8g
