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A classic Sicilian pasta dish featuring tender, golden-fried eggplant and a rich tomato-basil sauce, tossed with rigatoni and finished with sharp, salty ricotta salata. This hearty vegetarian meal is a true taste of Southern Italy.
For 4 servings
Prepare the Eggplant
Fry the Eggplant
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A classic Sicilian pasta dish featuring tender, golden-fried eggplant and a rich tomato-basil sauce, tossed with rigatoni and finished with sharp, salty ricotta salata. This hearty vegetarian meal is a true taste of Southern Italy.
This italian recipe takes 60 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 732.31 calories per serving with 24.3g of protein, it's a moderately challenging recipe perfect for lunch or dinner.
Make the Tomato Sauce
Cook the Pasta
Combine and Serve
For a lighter version, toss the eggplant cubes with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and roast them on a baking sheet at 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes, until golden and tender, instead of frying.
If you don't have rigatoni, this sauce works beautifully with other robust pasta shapes like penne, ziti, or casarecce.
Increase the amount of red pepper flakes to 1 teaspoon or add a fresh chopped chili along with the garlic for a fiery kick.
To make this dish vegan, simply substitute the ricotta salata with a high-quality vegan parmesan or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and toasted breadcrumbs.
Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant linked to reducing the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Cooking tomatoes, as in this sauce, increases the bioavailability of lycopene.
Eggplant is high in dietary fiber, which aids in digestion, helps maintain stable blood sugar levels, and promotes a feeling of fullness, which can assist with weight management.
This recipe uses olive oil, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet. It is rich in monounsaturated fats, which are known to support heart health by helping to lower 'bad' LDL cholesterol levels.
A typical serving has approximately 650-750 calories, primarily from the pasta, the olive oil used for frying the eggplant, and the cheese. The exact number can vary based on ingredient amounts and preparation methods.
It can be part of a balanced diet. The dish is rich in fiber from eggplant and antioxidants like lycopene from tomatoes. However, it is traditionally high in calories and fat due to the fried eggplant. For a healthier version, you can bake or grill the eggplant instead of frying it.
Yes, the tomato sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also fry the eggplant a day ahead. When ready to serve, simply reheat the sauce, cook fresh pasta, and combine everything as directed.
Ricotta salata is a firm, salty, aged ricotta cheese with a crumbly texture that's perfect for grating. If you can't find it, a good substitute is Pecorino Romano. In a pinch, a firm, salty feta cheese (rinsed to reduce some saltiness) can also work.
Bitterness is reduced by salting the eggplant before cooking, which draws out bitter juices. Soggy eggplant is usually caused by two things: not drying it thoroughly after rinsing, or overcrowding the pan during frying, which steams it instead of crisping it.