Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Show: Tyler's UltimateEpisode: Ultimate Rigatoni, Eggplant and Sausage

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (145)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(145)

Cook Time:
55 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
6 to 8 servings

Times:

Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 55 min
Total:: 1 hr 15 min

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Ingredients

Kosher Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
6 links fennel pork sausage (about 3/4 pound)
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large can (28 ounces) peeled whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
Leaves from 1 small bunch basil
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound fresh mozzarella
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta. Get yourself a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

Heat a 2 count of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and toss in the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes, you want them nicely browned on the outside but still rare on the inside. Put the sausages in the baking dish.

Turn the heat down to medium. Add a generous 1/3 cup of oil to the skillet and get it hot. Add as many eggplant pieces as you can comfortably fit in a single layer and sprinkle well with salt. Cook, turning, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the eggplant is nice and browned, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Use a spatula to put the eggplant into the baking dish with the sausage. Cook the rest of the eggplant pieces, adding more oil to the pan, as needed, and putting the finished eggplant into the baking dish.

Add another 2 count of oil to the skillet, then your onion and garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Dump the whole can of tomatoes and their juices into a bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands to break them up; add that to the pan with the basil and cook it down until pulpy and relatively thick. This will take about 15 minutes.

By this time your pasta water will be boiling. Add the rigatoni, give it a stir, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, it should be slightly firm as it will cook further in the oven. Ladle out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve; the drain the rigatoni.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Chop the sausages into nice big, bite-size chunky pieces and return the pieces to the baking dish. Add the tomato sauce, rigatoni, and the reserved pasta water. Break up half the mozzarella over the mixture, season with salt and pepper, and gently mix with your hands or a spatula. Dust with the Parmigiano and drizzle with more olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Spread the remaining mozzarella in an even layer over the top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage
Christina Lavallette, NJ 02-08-2010
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Good, but Time Consuming
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

The recipe itself was fantastic, and the family enjoyed it. However it was more time consuming than I had anticipated, and... wasn't really a practical week night dinner for my family. Also, I did have some difficulty cooking the eggplant correctly, but the dish was still very good. Read more
recipe Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage
Monique Austin, TX 02-04-2010
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Yummy-Delish!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Very tasty week night dish. I made a few adjustments in order to cut calories...used turkey sausage, grilled instead of fried... and casings removed . I substituted regular Rigatoni for whole wheat Rigatoni, and also salted the eggplant and allowed it to sweat, washed off salt and then tossed with a small amount of olive oil and baked on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam for 25-30 mins in a 400 deg. oven. Using half the amounf of cheese, I combined and baked as directed!! Yummy-Delish!Read more
recipe Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage
R Keasbey, NJ 02-04-2010
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Nothing Special
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I usually like Tyler's recipes, but this one was disappointing. It did not have enough flavor. I won't make this again.
recipe Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage
shawn midlothian, IL 01-13-2010
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simple and ellegant!!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

simply the best italian dish ive ever made. for all of the watery comments just dont add the pasta water and cook for an... additonal 5 to 10 mins to dry up the sauce. ive made this many times with no problems.Read more
recipe Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage
Donna Sedona, AZ 12-27-2009
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Good with sausage or vegetarian!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

Yum! My husband makes this with and without sausage for a vegetarian meal.
recipe Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage
Celeste Birdsboro, PA 12-25-2009
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Loved the eggplant in this dish
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

My family loved the eggplant in this dish, however, the sauce was a little watery.