Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage

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Picture of Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage Recipe Photo: Baked Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage Recipe
Rated 4 stars out of 5
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Total Time:
1 hr 15 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
55 min
Yield:
6 to 8 servings
Level:
Easy
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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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Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 165 reviews

  • on December 25, 2012

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    I used 1/2 pound of pasta as recommeded by another reviewer and I think it was the perfect pasta / sauce / eggplant ratio. Also baked at 375 like most other baked pasta dishes. The recipe does not mention peeling the eggplant - I like the color but you may want to eliminate some peel especially if serving to children.

    people found this review Helpful.
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  • on May 16, 2012

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    I love it! I have mass produced it and our service organization feeds approximately 600 people at the Mariucci Fiesta which benefits Confidence Learning Center in Minnesota.

    people found this review Helpful.
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  • on April 11, 2012

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    This is a delicious recipe!!! It is SO EASY!!!! I'm only 15 and was able to make it for my dad"s birthday. Of course I had a little help but only in crushing tomatoes and shredding cheese. I must say the eggplant tastes AMAZING!! I love the whole dish, but BEWARE, I forgot to add the 1/2 cup of pasta water and the pasta (the ones that were not covered in cheese turned hard. Lucky for me I had a lot of cheese and had covered almost every nook on top, so only those that were not covered turned hard. This is an easy dish for those who need to cook and have a good amount of time. I TOTALLY recommend this dish! (P.S. I used King's Choice Gouda Cheese, and it was amazing (P.P.S. nothing I just wanted to type some more...

    people found this review Helpful.
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