Eggplant Marinara Pasta Casserole
Eggplant Marinara Pasta Casserole might be just the main course you are searching for. This recipe serves 8. One portion of this dish contains about 17g of protein, 11g of fat, and a total of 398 calories. It will be a hit at your Autumn event. A mixture of eggplant, canned tomatoes, wine, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so delicious.
Instructions
Arrange eggplant on several layers of heavy-duty paper towels.
Sprinkle eggplant with 1 teaspoon kosher salt; let stand 15 minutes. Pat dry with additional paper towels.
Arrange eggplant in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 450 for 30 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring after 15 minutes.
Remove from baking sheet; cool.
Cook pancetta in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp.
Add onion, oil, and garlic to pan; cook 6 minutes or until onion is lightly browned, stirring frequently.
Add wine to pan; cook until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in basil, oregano, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; partially cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat; stir in eggplant.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water.
Add pasta and reserved 1/4 cup cooking water to tomato mixture; stir well. Spoon pasta mixture into a 13 x 9inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
Sprinkle evenly with fontina.
Place baguette in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups.
Add Parmesan to processor; pulse 5 times.
Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture evenly over fontina.
Bake at 450 for 12 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.
Wine note: With an American take on an Italian dish, why not try an American take on a red Italian wine, like Tams Estates Sangiovese 2005 ($14), an American wine made from the same grape as Italian Chianti. With its medium body and plentiful acidity, sangiovese is a classic choice with all tomato dishes, and offers tart cherry and sweet vanilla flavors that nicely balance each other. Jeffery Lindenmuth