Summertime Baked Ziti w/ Crispy Eggplant
So. It’s seriously the middle of August.
And while I don’t want to completely slip into an irrational panic, I am. Because when summer is THIS close to ending, it means I need to eat all the things.
Tomatoes.
Eggplant.
Basil!
This summertime baked ziti has all three, plus burrata for good measure.
Baked ziti is one of those delightful dishes that literally everyone seems to love. It’s wondrously cheesy and comforting, is super simple to make, and it’s perfect for big-ass batches that can feed more friends than you have. But for summer I wanted to spruce up this classic dish with a little seasonal pizzazz. That meant adding sliced heirloom tomatoes, a shit-ton of torn burrata (yaass!!!), and a glorious dose of crispy eggplant.
You start by prepping homemade sauce, then making the crisped eggplant. Cut a small eggplant into 1/2″ – 3/4″ cubes (try to be precise), then dredge in egg wash and coat in Italian breadcrumbs. When doing this I use a whole-batch approach, meaning I dump all my eggplant cubes into the egg wash at once, and then do the same into the breadcrumbs. This method is a little sloppier than going cube by cube, but damn — how boring would that be? I don’t have the patience, so all at once it is.
Once all the cubes are thoroughly coated, spread out into an even layer on a greased baking sheet, then bake for 25 minutes until browned. Stir a few times to promote even browning, but otherwise, that’s it! Crispy, crunchy, golden nuggets of eggplant await you.
Once the eggplant is prepped the remainder of the recipe flies. Boil a pound of ziti to al dente, then gently toss in a thin-film of sauce. Next, layer in a baking dish as follows:
SAUCE.
ZITI.
BURRATA + MOZZARELLA.
HALVED MINI HEIRLOOM TOMATOES + CRISPY EGGPLANT
SAUCE.
ZITI.
BURRATA + MOZZARELLA.
HALVED MINI HEIRLOOM TOMATOES + CRISPY EGGPLANT
SAUCE.
MOZZARELLA.
If this description sounds annoyingly familiar, it is. I transcribed it almost identically in this giant skillet rigatoni, so no, you’re not crazy. I’m just very irritating.
Anyway, layer as directed, then bake for 30 minutes! In no time you’ll be diving into the cheesiest, creamiest, most texture-rich ziti ever.
Swapping in burrata for traditional ricotta is a boss addition as are the mini heirloom tomatoes. Both add mega summertime vibes without extra effort, so it’s a ziti upgrade that’s totally worth it. But obviously the biggest standout is the eggplant, which adds incredible flavor + crunch. The crisp is SO insane, you’d never know you’re sneaking in a serving of veggies.
I love pairing this with a nice summer salad and some really fresh Italian bread for epic sauce-dipping. And as far as drinking goes, an ice-cold glass of Sancere finishes this off just right!
Or a bottle, whatever. xo
Summertime Baked Ziti w/ Crispy Eggplant
Ingredients:
- SAUCE:
- (two) 28 oz can peeled or crushed tomatoes
- 2 1/2 tsps basil
- 2 1/2 tsps oregano
- 2 tsps crushed or minced garlic
- several dashes salt
- a few pinches black pepper
- a few pinches granulated sugar
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- EGGPLANT:
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white
- a few pinches salt & pepper
- 3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2″ – 3/4″ cubes
- olive oil spray to grease
- PASTA:
- 1 lb ziti
- 8 oz burrata cheese
- 3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (12oz should cover it)
- 8 oz mini heirloom tomatoes, halved
- fresh basil to garnish
- olive oil spray to grease
Directions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 425F. Amply grease a large baking sheet with olive oil spray.
- Begin by preparing the sauce. In a large saucepan combine all sauce ingredients over a medium-low flame, adjusting the seasonings as needed and mashing the tomatoes with a potato masher if using peeled tomatoes. Cover and simmer until needed, occasionally stirring and mashing as appropriate.
- Prepare the eggplant. In a small mixing bowl whisk the egg, egg white, and salt and pepper. In another mixing bowl add the Italian breadcrumbs. Toss the eggplant cubes in the egg mixture until all pieces are drenched, then transfer to the breadcrumbs and again toss until evenly coated — some pieces will have more crumbs than others, that’s okay. Transfer the breaded eggplant to the greased baking sheet (I dumped the entire bowl right onto it!), spreading out into a thin layer. Bake on oven middle rack for 25 minutes until browned and crisp, stirring several times for even cooking.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then cook the ziti to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and return back to the same pot.
- Once the eggplant is cooked, reduce oven temperature to 350F. Lightly grease a large baking dish with olive oil spray.
- Toss the cooked ziti in enough sauce so that the noodles are lightly coated. Next, layer the greased baking dish with sauce, ziti, burrata, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and eggplant — Repeat until all ingredients have been used. Bake, uncovered, on oven middle rack for 25 – 30 minutes until the cheese has completely melted, broiling for 1 – 2 minutes at the end if you prefer a browner finish. Top with fresh basil, then EAT!
Can you assemble this ahead of time and cook the next day?
Absolutely! just bring to room temperature before reheating.