| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 25 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound rigatoni
- 1 medium eggplant, diced
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- One 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
- 2 cups fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking dish
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season aggressively with salt. Add the rigatoni and cook 3 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the eggplant and tomatoes with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread on the baking sheet and roast until the eggplant is golden brown and tomatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)
- Toss the rigatoni with the eggplant, tomatoes, about 1/4 cup pasta water and the marinara sauce in a large bowl. If it looks dry, add the remaining pasta water. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella.
- Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish and top with the remaining cup mozzarella and the Parmesan and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. (Turn the broiler on at the end if you want the cheese to brown more.) Garnish with additional Parmesan and the chopped basil and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 624 |
| Total Fat | 26 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 75 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Protein | 23 g |
| Cholesterol | 35 mg |
| Sodium | 922 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 624 |
| Total Fat | 26 g |
| Saturated Fat | 8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 75 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Protein | 23 g |
| Cholesterol | 35 mg |
| Sodium | 922 mg |
Reviews
This was fantastic! The only changes I made were cutting the eggplant into about 1 inch cubes as opposed to dicing them (the eggplant shrinks considerably after baking) and I used both pecorino romano and parmegiano reggiano cheeses. I used slightly less than a pound of pasta as I wanted more of the eggplant taste. Be sure to use a good quality marinara sauce or make your own. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you Katie Lee!
Love Pasta alla Norma. I do add mushrooms for extra nutrition and roast them with the tomatoes and eggplant. Sometimes add a little dry white wine. Make my own marinara. Use a heartier pasta like cavatelli. So, my version is the reason for 4 stars.
I made this today and I love it. I had chickpea penne and followed the recipe. I was just cooking for myself tonight since my husband passed away, so I made a smaller version. But I can’t wait to make a full recipe for my family. So what to do with the other half of the eggplant? I made a half version of Katie’s Eggplant Parmesan Boats. It looks amazing and I’ll update on that recipe tomorrow. I wish I could post pics.
Made this for the first time today. Easy to get everything at the store and not tough to put together. Very delicious and pretty filling! I did add minced garlic at the final mix and I think i would add some onion as well
I made the recipe using frozen, roasted eggplant slices. After thawing, they were somewhat bitter, but that subsided once they were cooked in with the marinara. I added a bit of smoked paprika and some breadcrumbs on top. Overall, very good version of the frozen kind I usually buy.
I make this all the time! It’s perfect, follow the recipe exactly and be sure to add fresh basil!
Made this the other night and it was very dry and needed more seasoning. Also, I would recommend peeling the eggplant, mine were tough. For leftovers, in order to moisten it up a little, I sauteed some garlic, added a can of fire roasted tomatoes and some fennel. It was better but in order for me to make this again I would add the can of tomatoes and seasoning.
As with all of Ree’s recipes, when it says 4 servings, it really means 6-8 servings. I don’t limit what I eat, but do concentrate on portion control. This was good the night we made it, but it made way too much for the 2 of us (I halved the recipe). The leftovers were not good…dry and pretty tasteless. I would recommend this, but only make what you can eat for the meal your making it for.
Easy to make. Followed directions exactly & it turned out delicious!! Will be making again & again! Yummy
Total home run. Wasn’t sure at first how tasty this would be, but the roasting of the eggplant heirloom small tomatoes, and my homemade sauce really made the dish. My husband and I enjoyed it and I would definitely make it again.