Generational cooking at it’s best with Baked Pasta Wrapped in Roasted Eggplant
What will your guests say when you reveal this at your party?
My Roasted Eggplant Baked Pasta with mini meatballs, prosciutto and chunks of roasted eggplant inside the filling, plus my winning three cheese combination: fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella and pecorino romano. All the flavors will come together as you combine the ingredients and layer the bundt pan with the roasted eggplant.
Ingredients you will need:
* Anelletti pasta (this pasta is the tradition pasta used for this dish in Sicily) you can use other pastas as well but for this recipe i prefer Anelletti to have an authentic Sicilian feel. Bring a large pot of water to boil, add Anelletti, stir often and be sure to keep separating as you stir, add salt. Strain when pasta is al’dente which is about three quarters cooked. It will finish cooking in oven once complete. Once strained,pour pasta into a large bowl add one or two scoops red sauce and stir until evenly distributed.
*3 to 4 medium eggplant thinly sliced long ways (be sure to buy firm, long eggplant to slice long ways.
*Mini meatballs (see my recipe VitaRustica.com) This is one of my meal prep and planning recipes. These mini meatballs can be made ahead of time and taken out from freezer when needed. I like to make plenty of these in one batch and have them readily available in my freezer. For Pasta dishes, meatball sandwiches, a healthy snack and toss them in soups. They are so versatile, so keep plenty on hand. You can also make them day of however more prep time will be needed to make these first before beginning this recipe.
*4 cups Italian red sauce (homemade when possible)
*1 cup cubed mozzarella
*1 cup fresh mozzarella
*1 cup pecorino Romano or Parmigiano cheese
*4 slices chopped prosciutto
*1 1/2 cup chopped up roasted eggplant (about 4 slices) after roasting set aside 4 for this purpose
*3 tsp of salt
*1 tsp pepper
*1 bunch basil (center decoration)
*4 or 5 cherry tomatoes cut in half
*3 tablespoon olive oil
*1/2 tsp paprika
Begin by slicing the eggplant in long thin slices, and baste each slice on both sides with my special marinade
Begin to slice eggplant long ways. In a separate bowl, mix together olive oil salt, pepper and paprika. Place the sliced eggplant on a cookie sheet and brush the marinade on both sides. Roast in the oven on 375F on both sides for 10 minutes, allow to cool. Take four roasted eggplant slices and cut up in chunks for the filling, set aside until later.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, add anelletti pasta, add salt, stir often, begin to strain just before it is three quarters cooked. After straining put in a large bowl and add one cup of red sauce and stir. Add all other ingredients to pasta. All three cheeses, meatballs, 4 slices chopped in chunks of the roasted eggplant and prosciutto. Add about two cups of red sauce, to make it moist but not wet. Toss together lightly.
In a bundt pan brush with olive oil marinade and begin to line the pan with your eggplant as shown in video. Each slice should be overlapping the other. Once eggplant is covering the bundt pan, begin to spoon in your pasta mixture.
Once the eggplant has completely lined your bundt pan, begin to add your pasta filling. Fill to top and lightly press with spoon as you go along.
Place in preheated oven at 375F for 45 minutes. Bake at 375F for 45 minutes. Remove from oven allow to cool for 15 minutes. On a serving platter turn bundt pan upside down, tap lightly until loose then gently lift the mold. Place basil, tomatoes and grated cheese as a garnish. Slice and ready to serve.
Roast Eggplant Baked Pasta “Timpano”
Equipment
- 1 bundt pan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Anelletti Pasta (dried)
- 4 eggplant
- 30 mini meatballs (see my recipe)
- 4-5 cups red sauce
- 1 cup cubed mozzarella fresh or buffolo
- 1 cup cubed or shredded mozzarella
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 bunch basil
- 5 cherry tomatoes vut in half
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Instructions
- • Begin to slice eggplant long ways. In a separate bowl, mix together olive oil salt, pepper and paprika. Place the sliced eggplant on a cookie sheet and brush the marinade on both sides. Roast in the oven on 375F on both sides for 10 minutes, allow to cool. Take four roasted eggplant slices and cut up in chunks for the filling, set aside until later.• Bring a large pot of water to boil, add anelletti pasta, salt, stir often, strain just before it is three quarters cooked. After straining put in a large bowl and add one cup of red sauce and stir. Add all other ingredients to pasta. All three cheeses, meatballs, 4 slices chopped in chunks of the roasted eggplant and prosciutto. Add about two cups of red sauce, to make it moist but not wet. Toss together lightly.• In a bundt pan brush with olive oil marinade and begin to line the pan with your eggplant as shown in video. Each slice should be overlapping the other. Once eggplant is covering the bundt pan, begin to spoon in your pasta mixture. Fill to top and press lightly. Gently begin to fold in layers as seen in the video. • Place in preheated oven at 375F for 45 minutes. Remove and let cool on cooling rack for one half hour.• On a serving platter turn bundt pan upside down, tap lightly until loose then gently lift the mold. Place basil, tomatoes and grated cheese as a garnish. Slice and ready to serve.
