Baked Rigatoni With Eggplant and Sausage

It looks like my hopes for a little bit more of Indian Summer are fading. Global warming has abated and the usual, seasonal, cold Canadian weather is here. We’re expecting our first major snowfall here in the Toronto area. This means I won’t be posting any dishes made on my grill anytime soon!

However, I do have a He-Man, stick to your ribs, macho Italian, satisfy the man’s hunger kinda’ dish. Before I proceed, I’ve gotta tell you that this is not a dish that’s ready by the time your pasta is cooked. It’s not a difficult dish but it does take a little more time but it’s worth the trouble.

Baked rigatoni would be a good offering for a pot luck or if you want to bring something to a family gathering. It’s big, hearty and you’ll surely go back home with an empty tray and none of the lame excuses one gets trying to get their cookware back!

This recipe comes from Tyler Florence as part of his Ultimate series. You can view Tyler’s approach here or view it below.

Baked Rigatoni With Eggplant and Sausage

Sea Salt
olive oil
6 links Italian sausage (about 3/4 pound)
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces (or small ones are fine)
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large can (28 ounces) peeled whole tomatoes
Leaves from 1 small bunch basil
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound fresh mozzarella
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.
5. 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.