Simple Rigatoni Melanzane with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Mozzarella Cheese
This is quite possibly one of my favorite dishes of all time, and it’s been something my family has been eating for years! The eggplant mixed with pasta, tomato sauce, crunchy breadcrumbs and melted mozzarella makes for a surprisingly hearty, easy and satisfying dish.
Growing up, I was a huge meat eater, and living in a family that is half Italian, I ate a lot of Italian food and Italian-American food. I ate tons of chicken, sausage and meatballs.
Still, however, the humble eggplant was always a good, staple option. I remember trying eggplant parmesan when I was in elementary school and I loved it. So much so that I ordered it every week on Fridays while everyone else dug into their slices of pizza.
My mom used to order eggplant dishes everywhere we went too, and she still does now. When I finally transitioned into a pescatarian diet, I felt like it wasn’t too hard to give up my Italian-American favorites because eggplant was always good to me, even when I ate meat.
A pasta dish with cubed up eggplant has always been in the rotation as one of my favorite meals to eat. It’s so simple, yet so comforting.
The cheese and breadcrumbs absolutely make this dish complete, so skipping on them would be a huge miss. The breadcrumbs add such a nice crunch with so much flavor and the cheese (mozzarella in this case, but ricotta would go well here too)cuts through the tomato sauce adding a creamy texture.
If you can’t tolerate gluten, you could definitely sub with gluten free pasta and gluten free breadcrumbs. If you can’t tolerate dairy, a vegan mozzarella or a vegan ricotta would definitely work here!
I used fresh eggplant from the farm in this dish the last time I made it, and it was so delicious. Now that eggplant is in season, it’s the perfect excuse to make this comforting dish!
SIMPLE RIGATONI MELANZANE WITH TOASTED BREADCRUMBS AND MOZZARELLA CHEESE
(Serves about 4)
Ingredients
2 small eggplants or 1 large (about 650g once cubed)
about 4+ tbsp olive oil
½ cup panko breadcrumbs (if you use plain panko, see notes to season)*
1 lb. mezzi rigatoni
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
5 cups tomato/marinara sauce**
½ cup fresh basil, sliced/chiffonade
1 cup fresh mozzarella or vegan mozzarella, cubed then measured
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cut the eggplant into ½ inch cubes (I leave the skin on) then place into a large colander. Sprinkle the eggplant cubes with about 1 tbsp of salt, then toss to evenly disperse the salt. Place in the sink to drain.
Fill a large pot with water and place it on the stove to bring to a boil.
In a large, heavy bottomed pan, add about 1 tbsp of olive oil then turn the heat on to medium-high.
Add in the breadcrumbs and stir them around until they become golden, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and place the breadcrumbs into a small bowl to stop them from cooking more, then set aside.
Cube up the mozzarella if not done already and set it to the side to come to room temperature. This will help it melt easier later on!
Into the same large heavy bottomed pan, add in 2 more tbsp of olive oil and turn the heat back on to medium-high.
Add in the onion and saute for 2 minutes, stirring a bit.
Once the onions have cooked down slightly, add in the cubed eggplant (straight from the colander, no need to pat dry or anything) along with the dried parsley, dried basil, dried oregano, dried onion powder, dried garlic powder and some salt and pepper to taste. Stir the eggplant around to get nicely coated and add in a bit more olive oil to ensure the eggplant is nicely hydrated and not dry. Let the eggplant continue cooking until browned and cooked down slightly, about 5 minutes or so.
While the eggplant is cooking, generously salt the large pot of water and put up the pasta. Undercook the pasta by cooking it 3 minutes less than the package directions.
Once the eggplant has cooked down, add in the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Pour in 4 cups of the tomato sauce, then stir everything around until well combined. Bring the sauce to a boil.
Once boiling, add in the drained pasta and let this mixture cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the pasta mixture cooks down, ladle in the remaining 1 cup sauce in small increments. You want the sauce and pasta to thicken up and get darker to slightly deepen the flavor.
Just before serving, add in the sliced basil and stir to combine.
To serve, spoon half a serving into each bowl, then layer in cubes of mozzarella, then fill each bowl with the remaining half of the serving. Let it sit for a minute or two to melt the cheese, then top with toasted breadcrumbs and extra basil if desired!
Notes
*I use pre-seasoned panko breadcrumbs. If yours are plain, add a big pinch each of salt, pepper, dried parsley, dried basil, garlic powder and onion powder.
**We are using already made tomato/marinara sauce here to help achieve a deep, more impactful flavor instead of just a plain can of tomatoes. I used homemade marinara sauce, but you could also use good quality store bought (try your local markets and restaurants first).
