Baked anelletti with eggplants is a rich and succulent pasta dish, perfect for gatherings. Inspired by the famous Sicilian anelletti pie made with a rich meat and pea sauce. This time, we didn’t use meat or peas but another ingredient widely used in Sicilian cuisine, the eggplant, which is the star of delicious dishes like the famous eggplant parmigiana or the eggplant caponata. A tomato sauce enriched with fried eggplants, perfect for seasoning pasta, to which we add grated cheese and smoked cheese or mozzarella. We bake it to make it golden and flavorful, making it truly irresistible, a joy to the eyes and palate!
The preparation is very simple: sauté onion with oil and add the cherry tomatoes. After about ten minutes, add the tomato puree and let the sauce cook for about 20 minutes, seasoning at the end with fresh basil, salt, and pepper. Meanwhile, dice the eggplants, sprinkle them with salt, and dry them with paper towels to remove bitterness. Fry them in hot oil and drain them on paper towels so they absorb excess oil. Add them to the tomato sauce. Season the pasta with the eggplant and tomato sauce, add plenty of grated cheese and diced smoked cheese or mozzarella, and pour into a baking dish. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350°F.
A baked pasta dish that will delight the whole family but is also perfect for when we have guests for lunch or dinner because it will truly impress everyone!
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Economical
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
- Region: Sicily
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients to make Baked Anelletti with Eggplants
- 12 oz Sicilian anelletti
- 1 2/3 cups tomato puree
- 10 1/2 oz eggplants
- 7 oz cherry tomatoes
- 7 oz smoked cheese (or mozzarella or caciocavallo)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup Pecorino cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion
- basil
- salt
- pepper
Tools to make Baked Anelletti with Eggplants
- 2 Pots
- 1 Pan
- 3 Stove
- 1 Baking dish
- Paper towels
- 1 Knife
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Oven
Steps to make Baked Anelletti with Eggplants
Start preparing baked anelletti with eggplants by first preparing the eggplant sauce: peel and finely chop the onion and sauté it in a pot with oil.
Add the cherry tomatoes and cook over low heat for about ten minutes until they become soft.
Add the tomato puree and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or so until the tomato sauce has thickened. At the end of cooking, adjust salt and pepper and scent with fresh basil.
While preparing the tomato sauce, clean the eggplants and dice them. Sprinkle with salt, let them rest for half an hour, then squeeze and dry with paper towels to remove bitterness.
Heat olive or seed oil in a pan and fry the eggplants a few at a time until golden brown. Drain with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil.
Add the eggplants to the tomato sauce and mix well.
Bring plenty of salted water to a boil and cook the anelletti until al dente, it will take about 3 minutes or follow the instructions on the package.
Season the pasta with the eggplant sauce and add the grated cheeses and diced smoked cheese. If using mozzarella, dice it at least an hour before and let it drain in a colander.
Pour the anelletti into a baking dish and level well.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes at 350°F.
Remove the pie from the oven, let it cool for about ten minutes, then serve with more fresh basil.
Simo and Cicci recommend
You can store the baked anelletti pie with eggplant sauce in the fridge for 3-4 days, or freeze it for up to two to three months.
You can also prepare the pasta the day before, seasoning it with the eggplant sauce and gratinate it the next day, keeping it in the fridge.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
If anelletti cannot be found, is it possible to use another type of pasta?
Sure, we can use the pasta shape we prefer or that we find more easily, this way we will get a delicious baked pasta with eggplants.
Instead of frying the eggplants, can a lighter cooking method be used?
Surely frying makes the eggplants tastier, but you can choose to grill them or cook them with little oil if you want lighter eggplants.
For a completely vegetarian version, is it necessary to omit the cheeses?
Not necessarily, just replace them with plant-based cheeses or those without animal rennet.
Can this pie be unmolded onto a serving plate?
Yes, in this case, we recommend lining the mold with parchment paper and letting the pasta sit for at least 30 minutes after baking, so it will be easier to flip it onto a serving plate.
