Eggplant Zucchini Rigatoni Bake
Enjoy a comforting, light pasta this summer. Thin slices of eggplant and zucchini join forces with rigatoni. The vegetable pasta is then wrapped in a meatless tomato sauce. Ricotta & mozzarella ensure a cheesy bake. When you need a substantial alternative to outdoor grilling and miss your oven just a little bit, this quick pasta bake will come to the rescue.
Jump to RecipeSummer Pasta
I am not a summer girl. I cant lie. The moment life without air conditioning becomes a monster living just outside of the all-too-bright windows and the feeling of humidity creeps in, I start the countdown until autumn. I love the ocean, and the idea of beaches just fine, but the crowds before and the surreal Covid realities now make it all just not worth it. Forests are my beach, and fall to winter is the time I feel most myself.
Living in the Twilight Zone
However, summer is here and we are now stuck in the middle of it–July, the worst month. No in and no out. At least I have my classic Twilight Zone marathon on the Fourth of July to look back to. How apt every episode seems today, as they always did. I have never comfortably aligned myself with American patriotism. I am a Croatian American, sure, but more of a New York area identity, which overrides all every time. With the state of it all hopefully finally changing for some good, I am looking forward to Bastille Day more this year, in particular.
Quickie
This Eggplant Zucchini Rigatoni Bake is mostly assembly. I have a Neopolitan, Euro style tomato sauce that I originally made with my Neopolitan Lasagna. I have re-listed it below marinara style, and it does not need more than an hour to cook without meat.
The eggplant and zucchini are thinly sliced–I use a food processor to ensure this.
Then, the vegetables are salted and lightly sauteed in olive oil until soft. Fear not if they fall apart a little. It will allow a pasta bake with all elements intermingling, which tastes the very best.
You can prepare the eggplant and zucchini, and boil the pasta reserving the extra 1/2 cup of water that you can add to the pasta and sauce when assembling. The tomato sauce is a light marinara, without garlic! See the recipe below for the Neopolitan marinara variation of tomato sauce.
After that, it is about prep: shredding the mozzarella and the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and adding egg, salt, red pepper, and parsley to the Ricotta, making it much creamier and flavorful.
A Return to Carbs
Back to summer. So, when the constant barbecues and grilling of meats roast your arteries and you just cannot eat another corn tomato salad, bring pasta back into your life. And, in the oven to boot! This Eggplant Zucchini Rigatoni Bake is hearty, yet light; substantial, yet vegetarian and meat free, and the right alternative to summer in my book.
Until fall graces our clammy faces with her cooling breezes and crunchy leaves, enjoy this Eggplant Zucchini Rigatoni Bake. It can easily be frozen and returned to life throughout the summer, until it is time to set humidity aside and pasta returns to us full force in colder weather.
Eggplant Zucchini Rigatoni Bake
Ingredients
For the Vegetables
- 1 eggplant, thin sliced
- 2 zucchini, thin slices
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
The Tomato Sauce (see recipe below)
For the Pasta/Bake
- 1 lb rigatoni, made al dente
- 1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
- Handful parsley, chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or other parmesan cheese
- Handful basil
- 1 tbsp salt, more for the ricotta mix
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp red pepper, more for the ricotta mix
- Drizzle olive oil
- 1/2 cup pasta water from rigatoni
Instructions
Prepare the Tomato Sauce
The Vegetables
- Add the thinly sliced eggplant and zucchini to a wide bottomed skillet with a tablespoon or so of olive oil. Sprinkle some salt over top. Saute on medium heat, moving the vegetables around if getting too dark. Add olive oil and adjust heat when needed.
- You may need to saute in shifts–do not overload the pan. Set aside and let drain over paper towels and sprinkle a touch more salt.
The Pasta/Bake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Make sure your rigatoni is al dente since it will continue to bake in the oven. When you boil the pasta, set aside a cup of pasta water.
- Once your tomato sauce is cooked, you can add the cooked rigatoni to it and mix it all together, also adding the pasta water back to give it some slack.
- In a bowl, mix the ricotta with salt, pepper to taste, some chopped parsley, and an egg. Set aside.
- In a lasagna tray or 9 x 13 baking tray, drizzle a little olive oil on the bottom.
- Add in a layer of about half the tomato sauce and pasta. Add in a layer of eggplant and zucchini and distribute it throughout the pasta, swirling to incorporate.
- Add small dollaps of the ricotta mixture throughout the layer. Gently swirl.
- Sprinkle half the mozzarella and parmesan over the pasta.
- Repeat with a second layer and the rest of the tomato sauce/pasta. Repeat the same layering of other ingredients.
- On top, add a little extra mozzarella and parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle of salt/pepper/red pepper flakes. Add some chopped basil leaves.
- Bake in oven for 30 minutes. You may need to broil for a few minutes at the end in order to brown the cheese to your liking. Allow 15 minutes to cool before serving. Keeps very well in the refrigerator or freezer.
Notes
- You can add other vegetables you like for summer or whenever making; nothing is as perfect as zucchini and eggplant to me. Make sure to allow vegetables to drain so they are not greasy going into the oven.
- You can make the tomato sauce ratio to your liking – some like more, some like less. Just remember to use a little more than your ideal since it will reduce a bit in the oven during baking.
- You can substitute any tomato sauce you have leftover to make this easy dish. Marinara works great though if you are looking to counterbalance your meat intake during the grilling days of summer!
Neopolitan Marinana Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet vidalia onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 26 oz jar Mutti, or similar tomato puree
- 1/2 cup white wine
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- red pepper flakes, optional
- 5-6 leaves basil, chopped
- olive oil
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add some oilive oil and brown the onion, celery,and carrot for 5-7 minutes.
- Turn up the heat to medium high and add the white wine into the mix; de-glaze the pot, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Once the white wine liquid is almost gone, add the jar/carton of tomato puree.
- Add the salt/spices/basil and, once boiling, lower to a slow simmer for about an hour.
- You can refrigerate for up to five days, and freeze sauce for up to a month.
