Baked Rigatoni alla Norma is one of those dishes that makes life a little cozier. With its golden, cheesy crust and hearty, flavorful filling, it's comfort food at its finest.
This take on the Italian classic brings together rigatoni, roasted eggplant, and a garlicky tomato sauce, all topped off with plenty of cheese and baked until it's golden and bubbly.
Baked Rigatoni alla Norma is the kind of meal that warms up your kitchen and fills the house with the mouthwatering aromas of pure comfort food. Serve it with a salad and garlic bread for a full Italian-inspired meal that everyone will love!
Ingredient Notes
These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients. For a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.
Eggplants: Look for eggplants with firm, smooth, shiny skin.
Rigatoni: You can use other pasta here, although I suppose that would change the dish's name 😉
Onion: I use a regular brown onion, but you can use yellow, white, or red.
Garlic: The recipe uses 4 garlic cloves, but feel free to add more or less. We should always measure garlic with our hearts!
Wine: I use dry white wine for this recipe, but you can use red wine. If you don't consume alcohol, replace it with vegetable broth and a ¼ teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.
Fresh basil leaves: You do need fresh basil here. I find one of the large bunches or two clamshell containers is enough.
Mozzarella: You can use shredded mozzarella or mozzarella balls. I prefer shredded as I find the balls tend to melt together more, making it harder to serve the pasta bake.
Pecorino/Parmesan: Pecorino is a sheep's milk cheese and is a little saltier than the sweeter parmesan. It is excellent for adding to this bake, but you can use whichever you find easier to grab from the grocery store.
Recipe Tips
We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you. Have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!
- Don't allow the garlic to color in the oil; you want it softened and fragrant without any color. It is so easy to overcook and will add a bitter note to the dish if you do.
- You want to undercook the pasta by 2 minutes as it will cook further in the oven.
- If you peel some of the skin from the eggplant (so it looks like a zebra), you won't get long strips of skin in the finished dish, which is much nicer to eat.
- You want to cook the eggplant until it is deeply golden. It will take at least 35 minutes in the oven. (see picture above)
- When you add the eggplant to the sauce, stir it gently, as it can easily break apart.
Why You'll Love This Baked Rigatoni alla Norma
- It is straightforward to make and tastes delicious.
- You can easily add extra vegetables to the simple tomato sauce.
- It is topped with cheese, which makes everything better.
Recipe Adaptions
These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.
- Instead of making a sauce with crushed tomatoes, you can use a jar or marinara sauce.
- Add chopped capsicum to the onion mixture.
- Go for a mixture of eggplant and zucchini.
- Add meat with some crumbled Italian sausage or bacon.
- Add a generous pinch of red pepper flakes to kick your pasta.
- Add crumbled ricotta to the top of your bake (still keep the mozzarella) for a creamy layer to your baked Rigatoni alla Norma.
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Serving Suggestions for Baked Rigatoni alla Norma
What to eat with Baked Rigatoni alla Norma
This is perfect with a green salad and some crusty bread. I also like serving it with a fennel and orange salad or roasted fennel topped with parmesan.
What to drink with Baked Rigatoni alla Norma
Sicilian Grillo is a perfect match! It has a kind of fresh and citrusy vibe but with a minerally edge that works well with the cheese and rich tomato sauce. Or if you can't find Grillo, try a Pinot Grigio.
If you prefer a red, a classic Sicilian Nero d'Avola would work well with the earthy eggplants, but it is fruity enough to balance the tomatoes. Or go for a Chianti Classico. It is a smooth, medium-bodied wine that will work perfectly with the tomato sauce, yet it has just enough acidity to balance the cheese.
Enjoy x
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Get the Recipe
Baked Rigatoni alla Norma
Ingredients
For the eggplant
- 2 medium eggplants
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- ¼ cup wine (see note 1)
- 2½ cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup pecorino/parmesan grated
- ⅓ cup fresh basil leaves tightly packed
For the pasta
- 10 oz rigatoni
- 1 tablespoon salt
To bake
- ½ cup pecorino/parmesan grated
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
Start with the eggplant and sauce
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF/220ºC and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a peeler to peel alternating strips off your eggplants (so they look like zebras). Cut the eggplants into ½-inch thick slices, then cut each slice in half again.2 medium eggplants
- Brush each slice with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.¼ cup olive oil½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon black pepper
- Roast until golden brown and tender. Around 35 minutes.
- While the eggplant is roasting, make your sauce.
- Place a skillet over medium heat and fry the chopped onion in olive oil for 5 minutes until soft and lightly golden.1 tablespoon olive oil½ onion
- Add the sliced garlic and stir it for a minute, then pour the wine.4 cloves garlic¼ cup wine
- Let the wine bubble and reduce to almost nothing, then add the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, and seasonings.2½ cups crushed tomatoes1 teaspoon dried oregano½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon pepper
- Simmer over very low heat until you are ready to use it.
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the salt and pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the packet suggests.1 tablespoon salt10 oz rigatoni
- Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
Assemble the bake
- Mix the pasta into the sauce with ½ cup of the reserved cooking water. Then add in the pecorino/parmesan.½ cup pecorino/parmesan
- Gently stir in the basil leaves and cooked eggplant.⅓ cup fresh basil leaves
- Transfer to an oven-proof dish, and top with the cheeses.½ cup pecorino/parmesan2 cups shredded mozzarella
- Bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
Notes
- I use dry white wine for this recipe, but you can use red wine. If you don't consume alcohol, replace it with vegetable broth and a ¼ teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
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