Baked Cheese Pasta
Pasta and Pizza | Italian cuisine
⏳ Time
1 hour 10 minutes
🥕 Ingredients
15
🍽️ Servings
4
Description
Baked Cheese Pasta
Ingredients
- Breadcrumbs - ¾ cup
- Olive Oil - 2 fl oz
- Salt - to taste
- Ground Black Pepper - to taste
- Grated Pecorino Pepato Cheese - 3 oz
- Garlic - 6 cloves
- Oregano - ¼ teaspoon
- Crushed Tomatoes in Their Own Juice - 14.1 oz
- Chili Flakes - ¼ teaspoon
- Water - 4 cups
- Basil - 3 tablespoons
- Melted Cheese - 6 oz
- Canned Jalapeño Peppers - 3 pieces
- Eggplants - 30.3 oz
- Pasta shells - 12 oz
Step by Step guide
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 374°F. Mix the breadcrumbs with a tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly in a baking dish and place in the oven for 5–10 minutes until golden brown. Let cool slightly and then sprinkle with 0.5 cup of Parmesan.
Step 2
Meanwhile, blend the tomatoes and roasted red peppers (you should have about 3 cups of pulp) in a blender until finely chopped. Line a plate with 2 layers of paper towels and, after coating the eggplant with salt (1 teaspoon), place it on the plate and microwave for 10 minutes to dry it out.
Step 3
Allow the eggplants to cool completely and mix with olive oil (1 tablespoon). Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a deep skillet (suitable for oven use) and sauté the eggplants for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer them to a bowl. In the same skillet, pour in another tablespoon of oil and sauté the chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano.
Step 4
Add the tomato-pepper puree and a teaspoon of salt. Increase the heat to medium. Pour in 3.5 cups of water and add the fusilli. Cover with a lid and cook for 15–18 minutes until the pasta is done. If the sauce becomes too thick, add the remaining half cup of water.
Step 5
Stir in the remaining Parmesan (1 cup) and the eggplants cut into small cubes, season with salt and pepper. Mix well, top with mozzarella, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, and place in the oven. Bake until the cheese melts and the dish is golden brown (5–10 minutes).
Step 6
Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil on top and serve.
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