Pasta Bake

Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
30 mins
Total time
PT1HM

Ingredients

Pasta

  • 6 cups diced aubergine
  • 1 large onion , peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
  • 1 lb. Rigatoni pasta
  • Splash of cooking wine
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • Grated Koko Cheddar Cheese Alternative

Sauce

  • 8 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 can chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup basil , chopped
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • Sugar , a little if needed

Method

roasted aubergine

  1. Preheat oven to 170C.
  2. Toss the diced aubergine with some olive oil.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the aubergine in a single layer on the parchment paper. Bake for about 25 minutes until cooked and fully roasted (slightly browned, but not burned).

caramelised onions

  1. Heat 2-3 tbsp olive oil on a non-stick large pan on low-medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and an pinch of salt, and saute until they become completely translucent, slightly brown, and just caramelised (~25 minutes). Be sure to mix frequently. If you find that the onions start sticking to the bottom of the pan or start to burn, feel free to add a little more olive oil.
  2. Once the onions are caramelised, de-glaze the pan by adding a slash of cooking wine to the pan.

Sauce

  1. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a medium sized pot on medium heat.
  2. Add 8 cloves minced garlic and some dried red crushed peppers (more or less to taste depending on spice preference). Fry for ~30 sec. until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.
  3. Add the can of chopped tomatoes. Once the sauce is simmering, reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes or until the sauce thickens and reduces to about 2 cups.
  4. Add the chopped basil. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and white sugar (if needed). Cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside (note: if you are almost done with the recipe, feel free to keep heating the sauce at lowest setting possible to keep the sauce hot until the pasta is ready).

Assemble

  1. To assemble the pasta bake, mix the cooked pasta in with the sauce and transfer to a dish and then top with the cheese.
  2. Cook in the oven 190C for 15-20 minutes until the top is nicely golden. Serve and enjoy!