Why This Recipe Works

Rather than reach for a canned sauce for our Pasta Al Forno, we crafted our own using onion, garlic, and canned diced tomatoes as the base. To add flavor and crunchy texture to the dish, we made our own bread crumbs, sprinkled them on top of the pasta, and baked until golden brown. Browned, chopped eggplant added “meaty” heft to the baked pasta.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Pulse bread, 1 cup cheese, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 clove minced garlic in food processor until coarsely ground; set aside.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in large ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggplant and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in remaining cheese and basil. Cover and keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and stir into eggplant mixture, adding reserved pasta water as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Top with bread crumbs and bake until crumbs are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Serve.