The garden has been good to me this year and has given me lots of eggplants and peppers. I had too many the other day and decided to make a Sicilian-inspired baked ziti! It’s tasty, delicious, comfort food and today I’m sharing my recipe with you! It’s pretty easy and also makes for good leftovers. P.S. If you love romances packed with tasty food, grab a copy of SOUTH BEACH LOVE, now a Hallmark Original Movie. It’s specially priced at 99 cents (https://amzn.to/3Y10qJx) or free when you sign up for my newsletter (https://bit.ly/CaridadsNewsletter)!
Ingredients
1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 red (or green) pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 35-ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes (it does make a difference!)
1 32-ounce tub of Galbani Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese (Yes, it is the tastiest)
1 16-ounce whole milk mozzarella cheese, grated
1 large egg, beaten
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt for pasta water
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp basil (Fresh if you have it)
Water for pasta
1 pound penne rigati (works better than ziti)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish (I use an aluminum foil one for easy clean-up). Fill a pot with water and 2 tsp salt and bring to a boil to cook the pasta.
For the sauce, place 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan and heat until shimmering. Once oil is hot, add eggplant and saute for at least 5 minutes or more. Then add mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes. Finally, add pepper, onions, and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for no less than 30 minutes. If you can let it go an hour, even better.
In a bowl, place ricotta, beaten egg, 8 ounces of the grated mozzarella, and the chopped parsley. Stir well.
Bowl the penne but do not cook all the way. My brand said to give it 9-10 minutes but I only cooked it for 5. Why? You are going to mix with the sauce and also bake it. That will keep cooking the pasta. You do not want it to get too soft.
Drain the pasta and mix with the tomatoes and veggies. Cook for about two minutes. Place half this mixture in your baking dish.
This next trick I learned from my daughter. Spread the ricotta mixture across this layer. Then top with the remaining pasta, tomato, and veggie mix. Top with the last of the grated mozzarella. You can also top it with some grated parmesan at this point.
Bake for 30 minutes. Broil for another 2-3 minutes to toast the mozzarella.
Serve with garlic bread, salad, and a nice red wine! Bon Appetit!
