Baked Pasta for the Gourmand with Ragu and Fried Eggplants, a feast of goodness for a last-minute baked pasta. In fact, just in the time it takes to cook the pasta, we prepare the other ingredients to make a tray of pasta ready to bake. Remember to preheat the oven before draining the pasta so you save even more time, without waiting between operations. The ragu is quickly made in a pan, and trust me, it will be just as flavorful and even more digestible. The eggplants are strictly fried because this is a dish to make when you’re craving something indulgent, and once in a while, you can make an exception to your diet. Those who never want to cheat have a good alternative: baked eggplants. Just don’t grill them as it changes the flavor too much; it would be a different dish. So let’s get right to the recipe and see how to prepare it.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Summer
Ingredients for Baked Pasta for the Gourmand with Quick Ragu and Eggplants
- 9 oz penne rigate
- 2 black oval eggplants
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 10 oz ground beef
- to taste onion
- 5 oz provola
- 3 eggs
- to taste Parmesan
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste sunflower oil
Tools to Prepare Baked Pasta for the Gourmand with Ragu and Eggplants
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 2 Pans
- 1 Pot
- 1 Cooking Spatula
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Colander
- 1 Small Pot
- 1 Fork
Steps for Preparing Baked Pasta for the Gourmand with Fried Eggplants and Quick Ragu
Start by placing some extra virgin olive oil and chopped onion in a pan, let it brown over low heat, add the meat, let it brown well, add the tomato sauce, a little salt, a little water, and bring to a boil over low heat.
Cook the eggs in a small pot covered with water, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes over low heat, when they’re ready, drain and place them in cold water. When they’re cold, peel, wash, and set aside.
Put the pot with water on the stove for the pasta. Prepare for frying on the largest burner. Place a large pan on the burner with plenty of sunflower oil and start heating.
Wash and dry the eggplants, slice them into round slices, and fry them in hot oil a few at a time. If you want, you can flour them so they absorb less oil. Let them brown on both sides, if desired, you can also add a little salt to the hot oil, then dry on absorbent paper, it’s important to use plenty of paper to remove excess oil.
Cook the pasta al dente in boiling salted water. Drain, season with the sauce in the pot. Add the hard-boiled eggs, diced provola, and Parmesan.
Transfer the pasta into a baking dish to form a layer, cover with eggplants, more pasta, and so on, according to availability. Finally, add the last eggplants on top, a little sauce, provola, and Parmesan, and bake for about 15-20 minutes at 355°F in a preheated static or fan oven.
