baked rigatoni with aubergine & mozzarella
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RECEPIETRANSCRIPT
Baked rigatoni with aubergine& mozzarella
Method
1. Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/gas 3. Halve the
tomatoes through their equator, rather than their core. Stand them cut-
side up on a shallow baking tray (I use a nonstick Swiss roll tin).
Scatter a little salt, pepper and sugar over the cut surfaces and drizzle
with extra virgin olive oil. Roast for 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, slice the aubergine into rounds, brush both sides with
oil and spread out in one layer on another tray. After the tomatoes
have been roasting for 45 minutes, put the aubergines in with them
and roast for another 45 minutes.
3. Towards the end of the time, cook the pasta in plenty of gently
Ingredients
1¼kg small vine or small
plum tomatoes
a sprinkling of golden caster
sugar
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil,
plus extra for drizzling
1 large aubergine (about
450g/1lb)
500g rigatoni
2 garlic cloves, crushed
85g black olives, stoned and
chopped
2 good handfuls of basil
leaves, plus extra for serving
450g buffalo mozzarella
50g parmesan, freshly grated,
plus extra for serving
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3. boiling well-salted water until nearly al dente – it should be
undercooked because it finishes off in the oven. Drain well and tip into
a large bowl. Have ready 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil mixed with the
crushed garlic and chopped olives. Toss the oil mixture through the
pasta and turn half of it into a 2-21⁄2 litre ovenproof dish.
4. Remove the tomatoes and aubergines from the oven. (You can
prepare them up to 24 hours ahead.)
5. Turn up the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Scatter
half the tomatoes and their juices over the pasta in the dish. Roughly
tear the basil leaves and scatter on top. Drain the mozzarella, pat dry
with kitchen paper, then slice very thinly. Lay two-thirds of the slices
over the tomatoes. Grind black pepper over, and scatter over the
aubergine. Add the rest of the pasta, top with the remaining tomatoes
and mozzarella and then the parmesan. (Can be made up to here 3-4
hours in advance). Bake for 20-25 minutes, until piping hot and the top
is extra crusty. Serve hot with a sprinkle of basil and extra parmesan.
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