Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree

Giada De Laurentiis

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Warming Up Winter

Picture of Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree Recipe Photo: Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree Recipe
Rated 4 stars out of 5
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Total Time:
55 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Yield:
4 to 6 servings
Level:
Easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 3 cloves garlic, whole
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1 pound rigatoni pasta
  • 1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red

pepper flakes. Spread the vegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, place the pine nuts in a small baking dish. Place in the oven on the rack below the vegetables. Roast until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the torn mint leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Puree the vegetables.

Transfer the pureed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta and add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cooking liquid 1/2 cup at a time until the pasta is saucy. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top and serve.

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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 125 reviews

  • on January 12, 2012

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    This is one of my very favorite things! I make it all the time. I even use the eggplant puree (sans the red pepper flakes for homemade baby food. Make sure to be generous with the red pepper flakes and the parmesan.

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  • on December 28, 2011

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    Very tasty. Was unsure about using mint with the rest of the flavors, but it worked nicely.

    people found this review Helpful.
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  • on December 17, 2011

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    This sauce was very tasty!! We ate it as a side dish and on top of baked chicken cutlets - not mixed with pasta. It is very hearty.

    I used 1.5 medium eggplants, 5 plum tomatoes, about 5 cloves of garlic, a handful of cilantro (no basil at my market today dried oregano, some store-bought pesto (about 2 tbsp and just a few shakes of parmigiana, plus the red chili flake, evoo, s/p. The cooking time was pretty spot-on. Very easy to make. I read other reviews that said to increase the salt and flavoring a bit - so I did. My husband loved it and so did I. I can think of tons of things to do with this sauce (mix with cooked ground chicken or beef, use as a dip with veggies or pita, etc and am so glad I tried it! Thanks, Giada!

    people found this review Helpful.
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