Pasta ‘ncasciata with tomato puree

Name: Pasta ncasciata with tomato puree
Cook time: 40 min
Yield: 5 people
Ingredients: 4-6 large eggplants; salt; 2 cloves of garlic, crushed; 2 tbsp Monini Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 700 g Mutti Passata; 1 cup water; 2 tbsp Mutti Double Concentrated Tomato Paste; Salt, for seasoning; Pepper, for seasoning; 8 large basil leaves, chopped; Olive oil spray; 500 g rigatoni or tortiglioni pasta; 150 g salami, chopped; 150 g smoked mozzarella, cut into small cubes; 1 cup good quality parmesan cheese, grated; 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped; 2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted; 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Sicilian Baked Pasta

Made with Mutti Passata

Mutti Passata is a very versatile product that can be used in quick dishes due to the fact it is already reduced, as well as in slower cook dishes like Bolognese. However it is cooked it will retain its bright red colour, velvety texture and sweet flavour. Velvety smooth with no skins or seeds, it takes 2kg of fresh tomatoes to make 1kg of Mutti Passata.

1h 55 min (COOK TIME: 40 min / PASSIVE TIME: 1h 15 min)

Medium

5 people

Ingredients

4-6 large eggplants
salt
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp Monini Extra Virgin Olive Oil
700 g Mutti Passata
1 cup water
2 tbsp Mutti Double Concentrated Tomato Paste
Salt, for seasoning
Pepper, for seasoning
8 large basil leaves, chopped
Olive oil spray
500 g rigatoni or tortiglioni pasta
150 g salami, chopped
150 g smoked mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1 cup good quality parmesan cheese, grated
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 tbsp chopped parsley

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Pasta ‘ncasciata with tomato puree: Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 160 degrees Celsius fan forced.
Trim the stalks from the eggplants and slice lengthways into even slices about 5mm thick. Sprinkle the slices with salt and place on a rack or colander to drain off excess liquid for at least 1 hour.
While the eggplants drain, sauté the garlic in the oil in a frypan.
Add passata, water and tomato paste. Season with salt & pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, over low-medium heat for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the chopped basil. Set aside.
Pat eggplant slices with a paper towel to soak up excess water. Spray eggplant slices with oil and fry in a heavy gridle for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Oil a 30cm heatproof bowl and line it with the eggplant slices. Slightly overlap the slices so there are no spaces. If you have eggplant leftover, finely chop it and set aside.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until ‘al dente'. Drain well and place in a large bowl.
Add the sauce, salami, cheeses, eggs, pine nuts, parsley and any extra chopped eggplant. Gently stir through until all the ingredients have combined.
Spoon the pasta mixture into the eggplant lined bowl and press down gently to eliminate any gaps. Fold over any ends of the eggplant.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Rest for at least 15 minutes after the dish has been removed from the oven.
Place a large serving platter on top of the bowl and quickly turn both the bowl and plate over. Remove the bowl slowly off the plate to reveal your Pasta ‘ncasciata. Serve with extra parmesan cheese and chopped chilli.