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This eggplant pasta is another classic Sicilian recipe where the eggplant is often the main ingredient of many dishes. Traditionally it is made with Anelletti and filled with scamorza or caciocavallo, it is perfect for a dinner party and a vegetarian main dish, it can be prepared ahead.
What is baked pasta
Baked pasta, also called Timbal, is a half-cooked pasta which is combined with different ingredients and finished cooked in the oven. It is very practical for a dinner party or buffet as it can be made ahead and baked just before serving.
Baked pasta can use different pasta shape mixed with many sauces. Anelletti are typically used in Sicily and they can be vegetarian with eggplants, as in this recipe or with meat ragu.
As I love the vegetarian version with eggplants, this is what I am publishing today. If you want to try a version with meat, I recommend the recipe from my friend blogger Jacqui from The Pasta Project: Baked Anelletti from Palermo. She also has a fun recipe of Anelletti cooked inside an eggplant, and I will certainly going to try it: Baked Sicilian Anelletti Pasta in Eggplant Boats.
If you want to try a gluten-free vegetarian Timbal also made with eggplants, you can find my delicious Rice Timbal with Eggplants.
Ingredients for the baked eggplant pasta
For the eggplant pasta you need:
- 1 lb – 500 gr of Anelletti pasta
- 4 long eggplants
- 2 cups of tomato sauce
- 10 basil leaves
- 4 oz – 200 gr scamorza or provola or mozzarella
- 3 oz – 100 gr of ricotta salata or pecorino or parmesan
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- breadcrumbs for coating
Ingredients substitute
This recipe is usually made using Sicilian cheese: ricotta salata, caciocavallo or scamorza. Since these cheeses are not easy to find everywhere in the world you can replace them with mozzarella and parmesan.
Anelletti is also not easy to find, so you can use other short pasta like pennette, pipe or wheel. Whatever pasta shape you want to use, I would recommend using an Italian brand. The secret to this baked pasta is that it stays firm al dente while other brands may turn into a mushy mess (if you know what I mean).
So here is how you prepare the Baked Pasta with eggplants, first the eggplants:
Frying the eggplants
- Peel the eggplants and cut them in slices length wide
- Fry them in abundant extra virgin olive oil
- Lay on a kitchen paper towel to absorb the oil and add salt for seasoning
Preparing the Anelletti
- Cook the Aneletti in boiling water, but only half of the time written in the package
- In the meantime prepare the tomato sauce simmering it in a pan with the basil leaves and 1 tsp of salt
- In a bowl mix together the half cooked Aneletti and the tomato sauce
- Season them with grated Ricotta Salata, or Pecorino or Parmesan
Prepare the baking pan
- Prepare the baking pan by coating the base and the edges with extra virgin olive oil and abundant bread crumbs
- Coat the base and the edges of the pan with the eggplant slices
- Cut the remaining eggplants in chunks and add to the seasoned Anelletti
Putting it all together
- Pour the Anelletti inside the baking pan only half way
- Lay chunks of scamorza or mozzarella cheese in the middle of the ring
- Cover with the remaining Anelletti
Baked eggplant pasta
- Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs
- Cook in a hot oven at 350 F – 180C for 30 minutes
- Wait at least 20 minutes before turning it over a serving dish
How to serve baked eggplant pasta
Because you can prepare all the ingredients the day before, baked eggplant pasta is perfect for a dinner party or a buffet. It can be served as a main with a salad on the side for a vegetarian meal or as a primo piatto for a lavish banquet.
You can cook it in a tin with a removable base or a ring cake tin. If you used a ring tin you can fill the hole with additional eggplant sauce.
Top tips for making the best-baked eggplant pasta
- This recipe is usually made using Sicilian cheese: ricotta salata, caciocavallo or scamorza. Since these cheeses are not easy to find everywhere in the world you can replace them with mozzarella and parmesan.
- Anelletti is also not easy to find, so you can use other pasta like pennette, pipe or wheel. Whatever pasta shape you want to use, I would recommend using an Italian brand. The secret to this baked pasta is that it stays firm al dente while other brands may turn into a mushy mess (if you know what I mean).
- When you boil the pasta cook it for only half of the time written in the package
- You can prepare all the ingredients the day before and cook it before serving
- Make sure the eggplants do not have too many seeds
- Once fried, dry the eggplants in paper to remove the excess oil
- For a healthier version, you can use baked eggplants
- Wait at least 20 minutes before turning it over a serving dish
If you are making this baked eggplant pasta Anelletti, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram or sign up to my newsletter.
Baked Eggplant Pasta Anelletti
Ingredients
- 1 lb Anelletti pasta substitute with pipe, pennette or wheels
- 4 eggplants
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 10 basil leaves
- 4 oz scamorza or mozzarella
- 3 oz ricotta salata or pecorino or Parmesan
- 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs for coating
- salt
Instructions
Preparing the eggplants
- Peel the eggplants and cut them in slices length wide
- Fry them in abundant extra virgin olive oil
- Lay on a kitchen paper towel to absorb the oil and add salt
Preparing the Anelletti
- Cook the Anelletti in boiling water, but only half of the time written in the package
- In the meantime prepare the tomato sauce simmering it in a pan with the basil leaves and 1 tsp of salt
- In a bowl mix together the half cooked Anelletti and the tomato sauce
- Season them with grated Ricotta Salata, or Pecorino or Parmesan
Prepare the baking pan
- Prepare the baking pan by coating the base and the edges with extra virgin olive oil and abundant bread crumbs
- Coat the base and the edges of the pan with the slices of eggplants
- Cut the remaining eggplants in chunks and add to the seasoned Anelletti
Putting it all together
- Pour the Anelletti inside the baking pan only half way
- Lay chunks of scamorza or mozzarella cheese in the middle of the ring
- Cover with the remaining Anelletti and sprinkle with breadcrumbs
- Cook in a hot oven at 350 F - 180C for 30 minutes
- Wait at least 20 minutes before turning it over a serving dish
Notes
Top tips for making the best-baked eggplant pasta
- This recipe is usually made using Sicilian cheese: ricotta salata, caciocavallo or scamorza. Since these cheeses are not easy to find everywhere in the world you can replace them with mozzarella and parmesan.
- Anelletti is also not easy to find, so you can use other pasta like pennette, pipe or wheel. Whatever pasta shape you want to use, I would recommend using an Italian brand. The secret to this baked pasta is that it stays firm al dente while other brands may turn into a mushy mess (if you know what I mean).
- When you boil the pasta cook it for only half of the time written in the package
- You can prepare all the ingredients the day before and cook it before serving
- Make sure the eggplants do not have too many seeds
- Dry the eggplants in paper to remove the excess oil
- Wait at least 20 minutes before turning it over a serving dish
Wow what an impressive baked pasta! I love the use of eggplant and it makes for such an amazing looking dinner!
Thank you, it is delicious
We are huge eggplant fans in my house so this recipe is perfect for us.
Thank you, we are too
This pasta dish looks like a work of art. Absolutely gorgeous and the ingredients sound perfect together. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Thank you so much
I think this is a great vegetarian dish! We all need to eat more vego meals I think. Love the pasta and eggplant combination and the flavours sounds delicious. Will give it a go!
I love veggies, I like meat but not every day
Amazing recipe! I love anything with eggplant and pasta so this was heaven for me.
Thank, I love eggplants too