Catania, Sicilia
Rigatoni alla Norma
What’s better than baked pasta on a rainy day?
Makes
6
Level
Medium with a grown-up
Kids cook with a grown-up. Hot ovens, boiling water and frying are grown-up jobs, and sharp knives need a grown-up’s hands too.
Bella’s job
Bella helps cut the eggplant with Dad, mashes the tomatoes in the pan and sprinkles in the oregano.
Ingredients
Rigatoni: 1 pound
Eggplant: 2 medium (about 2 pounds), cut in 1 inch cubes
Zucchini: 1 small, cut in 1 inch cubes
Olive oil: 1/3 cup, plus more for roasting
Garlic: 4 cloves, smashed
Cherry tomatoes: 1 pint
San Marzano tomatoes: one 28 oz can
Dried oregano: 1 teaspoon
Fresh basil: 1 big handful
Ricotta: 1 cup
Fresh mozzarella: 8 ounces, torn
Parmigiano Reggiano: 1/2 cup, grated
Salt: to taste
Method
Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the eggplant and zucchini with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a big pinch of salt on a sheet pan. Roast 25 minutes until golden.
Warm 1/3 cup of olive oil in a large skillet and cook the garlic for 30 seconds.
Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they start to burst. Pour in the canned tomatoes and mash everything with a potato masher.
Sprinkle in the oregano and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Tear in the basil at the end.
Boil the rigatoni in salted water for 3 minutes less than the package says. It finishes cooking in the oven.
Toss the pasta with about three quarters of the sauce and the roasted vegetables.
Pour it into a baking dish. Dot with ricotta and torn mozzarella, spoon the rest of the sauce on top and grate over the Parmigiano.
Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbling with browned spots on the cheese. A grown-up handles the hot dish.
Rest for 5 minutes and top with fresh basil.
