Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fill a medium heavy-bottomed skillet with canola oil and heat over medium heat. Bring oil to 300 degrees as measured with a clip-on thermometer.
Recipe
Author
Hy-Vee Test Kitchen
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Description
Chef Edi takes inspiration from his hometown of Positano, Italy to create his traditional cheesy baked pasta dish.
Servings and Ingredients
Ingredients
Serves 8
| Quantity | Ingredient | Add |
|---|---|---|
| 2 qt. Mazola corn oil | ||
| 3 large eggplants, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces | ||
| Kosher salt | ||
| 1 package(s) (1-lbs.) Colavita bucatini pasta, dry | ||
| 2 tbsp. Gustare Vita olive oil | ||
| 3 clove(s) garlic, minced | ||
| 1 tsp. Hy-Vee red pepper flakes | ||
| 2 can(s) (28-oz. each) Gustare Vita whole San Marzano tomatoes, undrained | ||
| 1 jar(s) (3.5-oz.) Gustare Vita capers, drained | ||
| 1 can(s) (2.25-oz.) Hy-Vee sliced black olives, drained | ||
| 1 package(s) (2-oz.) fresh basil, chopped, divided | ||
| ½ c. Gold Medal flour | ||
| ½ c. Hy-Vee plain breadcrumbs, divided | ||
| 1 package(s) (8-oz.) Hy-Vee sliced provolone cheese, chopped, divided | ||
| 2 package(s) (8-oz. each) fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped, divided | ||
| 3 oz. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely shredded, divided | ||
| 3 oz. Pecorino Romano cheese, finely shredded, divided |
Things To Grab
- Medium heavy-bottomed skillet
- Clip-on thermometer
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Large stockpot
- Large skillet
- Paper towels
- Plate
- 9x13-inch baking pan
- Large bowl
- Aluminum foil
Directions
Place chopped eggplants into a fine-mesh strainer and season with salt. Allow salt to extract water from eggplant in strainer for about 20 minutes.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
Hyvee Culinary Expert Tip
Bucatini pasta is shaped like spaghetti but is hollow on the inside. This not only helps the pasta cook faster, but also absorbs more of the homemade pasta sauce.
Meanwhile, add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, capers, black olives, and 1-oz. fresh basil. Simmer on medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
Remove drained eggplants from strainer and pat dry with paper towels. Toss eggplants with flour and fry, in batches, in preheated oil. Drain on a paper towel lined plate; set aside.
Spoon ½ cup of pasta sauce into a 9x13-inch baking pan. Top with half of the breadcrumbs.
Toss pasta and remaining sauce together in a large bowl; mix in fried eggplants. Place 1/3 of the pasta into prepared baking pan. Top with 1/3 provolone, 1/3 mozzarella, 1/3 Parmigiano Reggiano, 1/3 Pecorino Romano, and 1/3 remaining chopped fresh basil. Repeat layers topping with remaining half of breadcrumbs. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake 35 minutes. Remove from oven and remove foil from pan. Preheat oven to broil on HIGH. Broil 2 to 4 minutes or until cheese and bread crumbs are golden brown. Serve warm.
Nutrition facts
Servings
720 Calories per serving
Amounts Per Serving
- Total Fat: 29g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
- Sodium: 1010mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 71g
- Protein: 39g
Daily Values
0%
Iron 30%
0%
Calcium 70%
0%
Vitamin D 0%
0%
Potassium 20%
Recommended Pairing
Recommended Pairing
Rocca di Fassinello Poggio Alla Guardia red wine