This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.
Sometimes the most difficult thing about going out to eat is figure out exactly what you want from the menu. I like to nosh/graze, so I generally ask my friends and family if we can share a few different things. That way I can try a little of everything. You know what makes this even more of a challenge? When you visit an Italian restaurant! Everything sounds and looks absolutely scrumptious, so it’s always difficult to choose! That’s what inspired this recipe. You know when you want baked ziti -and- eggplant parmesan but you know it is 100% unreasonable to purchase two meals for yourself? Make this Baked Eggplant Rigatoni Parmesan at home to satisfy both those delicious cravings. It’s easy to prepare with the help of Barilla and Galbani, available at your local Walmart.
Ingredients:
- One 16-ounce Box Barilla Rigatoni
- 2 1/2 cups Barilla Marinara Sauce
- 3 cups Galbani Ricotta Cheese
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 pound Galbani mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
This is a fun recipe because you take a few separate components and combine them to make one awesome dish. With Italian-American ancestry on both sides of the family tree, it’s important for us to continue to prepare delicious Italian-inspired recipes at home to share with our children. I began by slicing my eggplant into pieces that are about 1/2″ thick. I placed them on a griddle {you can also do this in a saute pan or grill pan}, drizzled with olive oil on both sides, and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. When eggplant slices were lightly browned on both sides and soft in the middle, I removed them from the pan.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add one box of Barilla Rigatoni. What I love about Rigatoni is that the little ridges trap all those delicious flavors from the ricotta and the sauce. I cooked the pasta until al dente {meaning ‘to the bite’ in Italian} for about 10 minutes. When the pasta is cooked, drain the water and add it to a large casserole dish.
At this point, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine 3 cups of Galbani Ricotta Cheese and 1.5 cups of Barilla Marinara Sauce. As a child, whenever my mom would prepare baked ziti, she’d mix the sauce and ricotta together in a bowl, and I would grab a spoon to enjoy it cold. When I make any sort of baked pasta now, I still leave a little in the bowl to try, you know, to make sure it tastes good for my family {wink}.
Combine the cooked rigatoni with the ricotta cheese and marinara sauce mixture. Stir until each piece of pasta is covered. Cut the grilled eggplant slices in half, and lay them across the top of the pasta. To get a consistent appearance, have them all facing the same direction.
Cover the eggplant with 1 cup of the marinara sauce, two cups of mozzarella cheese {either cut into small cubes or grated}, and one cup of panko bread crumbs. Drizzle the top with a little bit of olive oil to toast the bread crumbs. The panko bread crumbs give the crunch of an eggplant parmesan without having to fry it. Now THAT’S a win! Bake the pasta at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes until the mozzarella cheese is melted.
Now you are ready to serve this delicious dish! This makes a wonderful pasta dish to serve any day of the week or a great addition to your holiday meal {as the blog name suggests, we love potluck dinners}. The variety of textures and flavors creates a tasty dish your guests will love!
Check out this Ibotta offer to earn $2 when you purchase Barilla Pasta/Sauce and Galbani Cheese at Walmart.
What’s your favorite Italian dish to prepare around the holidays?
Any Comments?