Baked pasta alla norma

Basically pie for dinner. Adapted from Epicurious.

Best for: dinner, serves 6
Difficulty: easy
Time: 2 hours (1 hour total in oven, 10 minutes rest)
If you like this, try... Spaghetti with roasted brussels sprouts and parmesan

Eggplant, tomato, and roasted garlic are incredible together and even better baked into pasta. This frittata-like dish refrigerates well and is great for lunch or dinner the next day. It's fun to put on the table and cut into wedges like a pie, and it's pretty much the healthiest you can get with a big pasta dinner.

Ingredients

1 medium globe eggplant, peeled, cut into 1/2" pieces

2 pints cherry tomatoes or one 28-oz can of diced tomatoes

12 garlic cloves, smashed

1 tsp fresh thyme

1 tsp oregano

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for skillet

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for sprinkling on top

Kosher salt

2 large eggs

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup jarred or homemade marinara sauce

4-5 oz. (approx 1 1/2 cups) finely grated Parmesan, divided

1 lb. spaghetti (I use Banza spaghetti. Linguine would work too.)

1/2 cup torn basil, plus a few whole leaves

Optional: 1/2-1 cup shredded mozzarella

First...

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Combine eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, thyme, oregano, 1/4 cup oil, and red pepper flakes in a large ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron. Season generously with salt and toss to combine.

Roast, shaking the skillet once or twice, until eggplant is tender and tomatoes burst, 25–35 minutes.

Let vegetables cool while you prepare the pasta (watch out for the hot handle when you take the skillet out of the oven). Reduce oven temperature to 400°F.

Then...

Whisk eggs and tomato paste in a medium bowl until smooth, then whisk in about one cup of Parmesan.

Cook spaghetti in a large skillet of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente.

Immediately drain pasta in a colander and shake to remove excess water.

Add marinara sauce to the pasta pan, cook until heated through and aromatic.

Transfer pasta back to pot with the sauce.

Then...

Add cooled vegetable mixture to pan with pasta.

Wipe out skillet and drizzle in a little oil; roll around in skillet to coat. (If it looks like your skillet is going to be too big to hold everything, just keep the dish in the pasta skillet)

Add egg mixture to pasta and toss vigorously with tongs until pasta is evenly coated. Add 1/2 cup basil and toss again to combine.

Then...

Transfer pasta mixture to skillet (if transferring) and press gently into an even layer.

Top with remaining Parmesan, a few whole basil leaves, and an extra sprinkle of red pepper flakes. If using, add the mozzarella on top.

Finally...

Bake pasta until surface is nicely browned, 30–35 minutes.

Let cool 10 minutes before cutting into wedges for serving.