Eggplant Recipes » Recipe List » Baked Ziti with Roasted Eggplant, Bell Pepper, and Onion

Baked Ziti with Roasted Eggplant, Bell Pepper, and Onion

Eggplant, red onion, and yellow bell pepper are tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and coarse salt. Vegetables are roasted in hot oven until tender. Homemade tomato sauce prepared from sautéed onion, minced garlic, crushed red pepper, fennel seed, crushed tomatoes, coarse salt, fresh ground black pepper, granulated sugar, dried thyme and chopped fresh parsley. Cooked ziti pasta combined with roasted vegetables, homemade tomato sauce, and chopped fresh spinach. Mixture is spooned into baking dish, topped with shredded part-skim milk mozzarella cheese and baked until golden brown.

Ingredients -

1 pound Eggplant cut in 1-inch cubes
1 Large Red Onion cut in 1-inch cube
2 Yellow Bell Peppers, chopped
1 tablespoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Coarse Salt

Homemade Tomato Sauce:
1 teaspoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup White or Yellow Onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
1/4 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Fennel Seed, crushed
1 (28 ounces) can Tomatoes, crushed
1/4 teaspoon Coarse Salt
1/2 teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
1 pinch Dried Thyme
2 tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley

1 (16 ounces) package Ziti Pasta
1 (10 ounces) package Fresh Spinach, chopped
1 cup Shredded Part-Skim Milk Mozzarella Cheese

Preparation:

1. Turn the oven to 450 degrees and preheat.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients and toss well.

3. Transfer the mixture to a jellyroll pan and roast for 10 minutes, stir, roast 10 minutes more, stir and roast for a final 10 minutes.

4. Add the olive oil to a saucepan with the onions and cook for 10 minutes over medium low heat, covered.

5. Add the red pepper, garlic and fennel and cook until fragrant, which takes about 30 seconds.

6. Add the canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar and thyme and bring to a boil.

7. Turn the heat down and let simmer for 15 minutes.

8. Sprinkle in the parsley.

9. Turn the oven temperature down to 400 degrees.

10. Prepare the ziti according to the package directions and drain.

11. Toss the noodles together with the vegetables, sauce and spinach in a large bowl.

12. Transfer to a shallow 3 quart baking dish and top with the mozzarella cheese.

13. Bake until bubbly, which takes about 20 to 25 minutes.

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