Eggplant and Pasta Charlotte

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

191 people added this to their Recipe Box

This recipe makes 8 servings

Nutritional Info
Per each of 10 servings: about	-
cal	330330 cal
pro	13 g13g pro
total fat	16 g16g total fat
sat. fat	6 g6g sat. fat
carb	34 g34g carb
fibre	4 g4g fibre
chol	28 mg28mg chol
sodium	585 mg585mg sodium
% RDI:	-
calcium	2222 calcium
iron	1111 iron
vit A	1111 vit A
vit C	1010 vit C
folat	2626 folat

More great recipes from this menu:

Thin slices of eggplant form the covering for this robust baked pasta from our new book, Canadian Living Cooks (Random House, 2003), which features a collection of favourite recipes from our show on Food Network Canada.

Ingredients

2 eggplant , (about 8 oz/50 g each)2 2eggplant, (about 8 oz/50 g each)
1 tsp salt 1 1tsp tspsalt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 1/4cup cupextra virgin olive oil
5 cups rigatoni pasta 5 5cups cupsrigatoni pasta
1 jar (750 ml) herbed pasta sauce 1 1jar (750 ml) jar (750 ml)herbed pasta sauce
2 2cups cupsshredded mozzarella cheese, (8 oz/250 g)
1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese 1/2 1/2cup cupshredded Asiago cheese
1/3 cup grated romano cheese 1/3 1/3cup cupgrated romano cheese
1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 1/2tsp tspdried thyme
1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 1/2tsp tsppepper
1/4 tsp crumbled dried rosemary 1/4 1/4tsp tspcrumbled dried rosemary
2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs 2 2tbsp tbspdry breadcrumbs

Preparation

Cut eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick slices. Layer in colander, sprinkling each with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse each layer to remove sa< pat dry.

In skillet, heat 2 tsp (10 mL) of the oil over medium heat; fry eggplant slices, a few at a time, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side, adding more oil as necessary. Drain well on paper towels.

Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook rigatoni until tender but quite firm, about 7 minutes. Drain well and return to pot. Add pasta sauce and mozzarella, Asiago and Romano cheeses; stir to combine. Stir in thyme, pepper and rosemary; set aside.

Lightly brush 8-1/2-inch (2.25 L) springform pan with olive oil. Sprinkle with half of the bread crumbs. Line side of pan with overlapping slices of eggplant, making sure each extends to rim of pan and leaving no gaps. Cover bottom with overlapping slices of eggplant. Spoon pasta mixture into pan, pressing lightly. Sprinkle with remaining bread crumbs. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate until cold. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Uncover and add 15 minutes to baking time.)

Cover with foil. Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven until steaming, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. Run tip of knife around pan to loosen. Invert onto serving platter and unmould.