Garden of Eden's Baked Rigatoni

Tonight, I wanted veggies but I was told to make pasta. Voila! Welcome Garden of Eden’s Baked Rigatoni. A play on baked ziti, this dish conjures up the best of 4 elements: roasted garden-fresh goodies, cheese, a little heat, and a homemade sauce. Standing alone they might not inspire; but once combined, they’ll transport you back to Grandma Farley’s dining table. (Don’t worry, you would’ve liked my grandmother and she you.) And, the best part -- besides it being really hard to screw up a pasta dish --  as the seasons and the diner’s tastes change, so can (and should) the ingredients. I hope you enjoy!

Servings: 6-8

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 1 hour

Price per serving: $6

Kitchen gadgets required: blender and, if available, a food processor (otherwise, the blender can double-up on duties)

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, unpeeled, cut into ½ inch cubes

2 yellow bell peppers, cut into ½ inch pieces

¼ cup red onion, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

3 garlic cloves, pressed

Crushed red pepper flakes, divided (I used about 3 tsp, but suit your taste and spice tolerance)

1/3 cup olive oil

1 cup of fresh shaved parmesan cheese, divided

3 tbsp (about an ounce) pine nuts

2 cups fresh basil, divided

1 cup (half pint) of heavy whipping cream

1 28 oz can of peeled whole tomatoes

2 cups fresh spinach

3 oz fresh mozzarella, cut into ½ inch cubes

Box of rigatoni pasta

Preheat oven to 425º.

Combine the eggplant, yellow bells, red onion, cherry tomatoes, 1 garlic clove, and a tsp of crushed red pepper on a baking sheet coated with non-stick spray. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well to coat and roast for 35-40 minutes.

veg mixture awaiting their roast

In a food processor (or blender), combine 1/3 cup of shaved parmesan, pine nuts, and 2/3 cup of basil. Pulse a few times (until the basil and pine nuts are broken down and the mixture is blended).

In a blender, combine the cream, canned tomatoes, spinach, and the remaining garlic (2 cloves), parmesan cheese (2/3 cup) and basil (1 and 1/3 cup). Add salt and pepper to taste.

[Sorry. There was no hope of making that sauce look sexy in a picture. But, it sure is tasty!]

  

Boil the pasta in well-salted water until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Mix in roasted vegetables, sauce, and remaining red pepper flakes (about 1-2 tsp, remembering you can always add more later). Pour the mixture into a 13x9x2 baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Top with mozzarella and the basil/pine nut/cheese topping. Bake for 35-40 minutes until heated throughout and the top begins to brown slightly. Let stand about 5 min and dig in!



Before bake (look at that cheese!!)



Baked

Serve with red wine and artisan bread!