Eggplant Pasta Casserole
Casserole is a always a favorite and the Eggplant Pasta Casserole is one hearty rich recipe that everyone will love – even those who dislike eggplant! It’s a cheesy vegetarian meal that is sure to please the whole family!
Ingredients
- Eggplants: The eggplants are chopped into pieces and roasted to enhance the flavor and get rid of any excess moisture.
- Oil: To roast the vegetables. We like to use olive oil, but vegetable or canola will work well.
- Seasonings: Salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper and fresh basil leaves.
- Onion and garlic: No Italian style dish is complete without onion and garlic! They add a nice base level of flavor.
- Pasta: This pasta casserole is great with rigatoni, a large tubular pasta. Other pasta shapes like penne of fusilli will work well too.
- Marinara sauce: This is where this yummy pasta bake gets it’s rich tomato flavor. You can use your favorite store bought, or make your own marinara instead.
- Cheese: We use parmesan and mozzarella for a cheesy pasta dish. You can use other shredded cheeses like mozzarella or jack if that’s what you have to hand.
Directions
HOW TO MAKE EGGPLANT PASTA CASSEROLE
Create a delicious eggplant pasta casserole by layering roasted eggplant, pasta, sauce, and cheese.
- Chop the eggplant and toss in olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Halfway through roasting, add the onions and garlic. Roast til golden brown.
ASSEMBLE THE CASSEROLE & BAKE
- Add the marinara sauce to cooked pasta.
- Stir to coat the pasta well in the sauce.
- Stir in the cooked veggies, parmesan and basil leaves and topped with shredded mozzarella.
- Bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling.