Aubergine Pasta Bake with Giant Shells and Ricotta
Aubergine, creamy ricotta, tomato, giant shells and mozzarella. Nothing more comforting and a great way to eat giant shell without individually stuffing each shell.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 aubergine
- 1 red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 500 g cherry tomatoes
- 1 x 400g tin of tomatoes
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 500 g ricotta
- 200 ml double cream
- 500 g giant shell pasta
- 400 g mozzarella low moisture mozzarella works well here
- Salt
- Pepper
- Olive oil
- Parmesan
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Cube the aubergine and heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add a generous amount of oil and add the aubergine. You want enough oil to get a good colour and for it to be tasty but not so it’s waterlogged. Chop the onion and add to the pan of aubergine. Fry until soft, followed by the crushed garlic.
- Add cherry tomatoes, a tin of tomatoes and then fill half the tin up with water and add back to the pan. Cook for another few minutes on high heat until the tomatoes start to burst and disintegrate. Smash them with the back of a spoon to encourage them to burst, adding more water if needed.
- Season well with salt and pepper and add a splash of balsamic. Keep bubbling gently until a lovely sauce forms. Heat the oven to 200c.
- Get your pasta on to boil but drain it around 3 minutes before it’s done. It will continue cooking when you bake it. Meanwhile, mix together the ricotta and double cream in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Like you would for a lasagne, you’re going to layer the dish up. Add a layer of tomato sauce, a layer of pasta, some white sauce and then a few slices of mozzarella and a good grating of parm. Repeat this again to fill the dish!
- Cover the top with mozzarella and parm, bake at 200c for 20 minutes until the top is golden and crisp. Serve with fresh basil on top.
- The video below will help with this recipe.
Video
Notes
Scroll up for a step by step guide on how to make this aubergine pasta bake.
To store: Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days.
To reheat: I like to reheat in blasts in the microwave until piping hot.
To freeze: I wouldn't recommend freezing as the ricotta and double cream can defrost and turn grainy.
Make ahead: You can make the tomato sauce up to 5 days in advance. Store in the fridge until ready to use. You can assemble the pasta bake up to a day in advance. Cover and store in the fridge overnight then bake as instucted, adding on 5 or so minutes to the baking time to ensure it's hot all the way through.
Al dente: Make sure you cook the pasta for less than the instructions say as it continues cooking in the oven.
Nutrition
Calories: 812kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 514mg | Potassium: 744mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1740IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 571mg | Iron: 3mg