Baked Pasta with Eggplant

I did not grow up eating eggplant, and I don't know why, because it is so delicious! Michael doesn't like eggplant, so the only time I get it is when we go out to eat at a fancy Italian restaurant. Luckily, since I do all the grocery shopping and cooking, I was able to sneak some eggplant into the home for a fancy meal in! I enjoyed this meal with a nice glass of red wine.

I did not let the eggplant drain for an hour, and I also found that I left too much oil on the eggplant. The next time I make this, I will attempt to pat-dry the eggplants of the oil prior to placing them in the baking dish. Other than that, this meal was one of my favorites so far.

-Sarah

Baked Pasta with Eggplant

From “Vegetarian: Create Great-Tasting Dishes through the Seasons” by Ting Morris, Rachel Lane and Carla Bardi

Ingredients:

2 eggplants, each weighing about 1 pound, thinly sliced

Coarse sea salt

3/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1 cup olive oil, for frying

1 pound bucantini or spaghetti

Tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Leaves from 1 small bunch fresh basil, torn

1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chilled butter, shaved

Put the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with sea salt. Let drain for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400*F. Butter a 13x9 inch baking dish and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of bread crumbs. Heat the oil in a large frying pan until very hot Fry the eggplant in small batches until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Put the eggplant in a single layer on the bottom and sides of the baking dish.Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Mix in the tomato sauce, oregano, basil, and cheese. Season with pepper. Spoon the pasta into the baking dish, taking care not to displace the eggplant. Top with the remaining eggplant. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.