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Baked Rigatoni alla Norma

Baked Rigatoni alla Norma is one of those dishes that makes life a little cozier. With its golden, cheesy crust and hearty, flavorful filling, it's comfort food at its finest. This take on the Italian classic brings together tender rigatoni, roasted eggplant, and a garlicky tomato sauce, all topped off with plenty of cheese and baked until it's golden and bubbly. Serve it with a salad and garlic bread for a full Italian-inspired meal that everyone will love!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 4
Calories: 787 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the eggplant
  • 2 medium eggplants
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the sauce
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ onion
  • 4 cloves garlic sliced
  • ¼ cup wine (see note 1)
  • 2½ cups crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup pecorino/parmesan grated
  • ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves tightly packed
For the pasta
  • 10 oz rigatoni
  • 1 tablespoon salt
To bake
  • ½ cup pecorino/parmesan grated
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Instructions

Start with the eggplant and sauce
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF/220ºC and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Use a peeler to peel alternating strips off your eggplants (so they look like zebras). Cut the eggplants into ½-inch thick slices, then cut each slice in half again.2 medium eggplants
  3. Brush each slice with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.¼ cup olive oil½ tsp salt½ tsp black pepper
  4. Roast until golden brown and tender. Around 35 minutes.
  5. While the eggplant is roasting, make your sauce.
  6. Place a skillet over medium heat and fry the chopped onion in olive oil for 5 minutes until soft and lightly golden.1 tbsp olive oil½ onion
  7. Add the sliced garlic and stir it for a minute, then pour the wine.4 cloves garlic¼ cup wine
  8. Let the wine bubble and reduce to almost nothing, then add the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, and seasonings.2½ cups crushed tomatoes1 tsp dried oregano½ tsp salt½ tsp pepper
  9. Simmer over very low heat until you are ready to use it.
Cook the pasta
  1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the salt and pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the packet suggests.1 tbsp salt10 oz / 280 g rigatoni
  2. Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
Assemble the bake
  1. Mix the pasta into the sauce with ½ cup of the reserved cooking water. Then add in the pecorino/parmesan.½ cup pecorino/parmesan
  2. Gently stir in the basil leaves and cooked eggplant.⅓ cup fresh basil leaves
  3. Transfer to an oven-proof dish, and top with the cheeses.½ cup pecorino/parmesan2 cups shredded mozzarella
  4. Bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.

Notes

  • I use dry white wine for this recipe, but you can use red wine. If you don't consume alcohol, replace it with vegetable broth and a ¼ teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.

Nutrition Information

Calories 787kcal (39%) Carbohydrates 76g (25%) Protein 34g (68%) Fat 39g (60%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 19g Cholesterol 71mg (24%) Sodium 931mg (39%) Potassium 998mg (29%) Fiber 9g (36%) Sugar 14g (28%) Vitamin A 964IU (19%) Vitamin C 19mg (21%) Calcium 659mg (66%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 787

% Daily Value*

Calories 787kcal 39%
Carbohydrates 76g 25%
Protein 34g 68%
Fat 39g 60%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 19g 95%
Cholesterol 71mg 24%
Sodium 931mg 39%
Potassium 998mg 21%
Fiber 9g 36%
Sugar 14g 28%
Vitamin A 964IU 19%
Vitamin C 19mg 21%
Calcium 659mg 66%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.