READY IN ABOUT 1½ hrs

Eggplant Pasta Bake

Read Reviews (9)

"Layers of eggplant, pasta, and a puree of vegetables called a sofrito create a dense, creamy casserole that is filling and nutritious." — ZAPATISTA234

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly oil a large, deep casserole dish. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Arrange the sliced eggplant on a greased cookie sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
In a food processor, puree the onion, bell pepper, garlic and optional ancho chile pepper. If the mixture is too thick add a tablespoon of water. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Pour the onion mixture into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Add milk, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.
Arrange half of the baked eggplant in the greased casserole dish. Spoon in half of the white sauce, covering the eggplant. Spread the veggie crumbles over the white sauce, followed by the pasta, and a layer of the bell pepper puree. Cover the the onion and pepper mixture with remaining eggplant and spoon the remaining white sauce over the eggplant. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the casserole.
Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 45 mins
COOK 35 mins
READY IN 1 hr 20 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Apr 03, 2007

I made this recipe last night. And, of course, like many people, I made a few changes but, only because I didn't have an ingredient. I used a green bell pepper instead of a red one since I didn't have it. I also had a little left over ricotta and put that in the layer inbetween the cream sauce and the pasta. Despite my changes, it came out very good. When I make this again (yes, it was that good) I will use the red bell pepper because I think it would add a little sweetness to the recipe and also add a little less onion. I used the amt as stated and it was just a little too overpowering. Also, some of us are used to thickening our white sauce. Don't do it. Follow the recipe, it thickens while it bakes. And, I don't think the ricotta made a whole lotta difference but, if I had extra, I would still add it again. If I didn't, it wouldn't be missed. Enjoy...

—CUTNCOLOR

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jun 19, 2008

I followed the recipe and it came out a bit bland. I will definitely add some spices to the red pepper/onion mixture next time. And as another review said, don't let the white sauce thicken, cook until creamy and it will thicken as it bakes. My husband said he liked it, so I'll try it again.

—kristen

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12 Ratings

Jan 29, 2010

WOW! This was so yummy. It's hard to believe that it is a vegetarian dish. I made a few changes..I used Smart Balance, fat free milk, and whole grain pasta..which made it even more figure friendly. Also, the serving size is HUGE! I would take a big piece of this over a tiny piece of lasagna ANY day of the week! This is worth the time and effort :)

—BunnyzBebaH

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Sep 01, 2010

So, I had to change a few things because I live in a place where things like vegetarian burger crumbles don't exist and because my oven cooks at a steady 600+ degrees... 1) Since I don't have vegetarian burger crumbles, I just left them out all together. Maybe it tastes better with them, but it was still quite good without them. 2) I can't afford olive oil in this country but sunflower oil did just fine. 3) Ancho chili peppers don't exist here so I used a central-asian spicy pepper. I don't think I'll do this again because I didn't feel like the spice really added anything to the dish but I will add a second red pepper for a bit more of that flavor. 3) I didn't have mozzarella cheese but another melt-able white cheese was substituted and tasted great. Overall, the recipe was good but it did come out bland, as another reviewer mentioned. When I make it again, this is what I will do differently: 1) I will cut the eggplant to be about 1/8 inch thick and probably use a second eggplant. 2) When baking the eggplant, I will put pieces of garlic inside the eggplant slices and put butter with a sprinkle of salt on top. 3) I will salt and season the white sauce to taste and make a little extra to mix with the pasta. 4) I will mix some white sauce and cheese with the pasta before putting it in the dish to bake.

—Hayley

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Sep 19, 2007

This was very good, we did not have the chili pepper though. We added 1 can diced tomatoes and 1/2 tsp each of basil and oregano. Will make again and maybe add spinach for more color :)

—JADYN7777

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Mar 23, 2010

Made this last night it was good but bland. I used leftover turkey burgers from the night before istead of veggie burgers. I was looking for another way to use eggplant besides parmesan, so I will do this recipe again only next time use some garlic and fresh herbs to give it a little more flavor. I really liked the white sauce and my kids liked it, I don't think they knew they were eating eggplant...sshh.. don't tell:-}

—OlivetheThyme

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Mar 16, 2008

Hubby says 3.5 stars. I followed the recipe {{mostly}} with 1 small change. I added fresh basil and parsley to the red pepper mixture. Still somewhat bland and almost boring. It takes a lot of time to make, for an ordinary no raves dinner. Probably will not make again. Thanks anyway.

—CRUISEM

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Jan 08, 2012

Made this last night for my vegetarian wife. We both enjoyed it and will make it again. I made the recipe exactly as written but like some other reviewers I think I will add more eggplant and some herbs and spices to taste. Thanks for a yummy dish!!!

—Pundragon

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Nutrition

Calories
420 kcal
21%

Carbohydrates
40.9 g
13%

Cholesterol
41 mg
14%

Fat
19.5 g
30%

Fiber
6.7 g
27%

Protein
21 g
42%

Sodium
383 mg
15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Eggplant Pasta Bake

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 420
Calories from Fat: 175

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 19.5g 30 %
Saturated Fat 9g 45 %
Cholesterol 41mg 14 %
Sodium 383mg 15 %
Potassium 513mg 14 %
Total Carbohydrates 40.9g 13 %
Dietary Fiber 6.7g 27 %
Protein 21g 42 %
Sugars 7.8g
** Vitamin A 20 %
** Vitamin C 46 %
** Calcium 33 %
** Iron 16 %
** Thiamin 29 %
** Niacin 40 %
** Vitamin B6 15 %
** Magnesium 15 %
** Folate 55 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.