Pasta Alla Siciliana with Burrata
This pasta alla Siciliana with burrata is a fantastically rich, creamy, baked pasta loaded with tender eggplant, cheese, and a garlicky tomato sauce. A tasty vegetarian pasta dish straight from Sicily!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 619kcal
Cost: $8
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
- 13 x 9 baking dish
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta I used penne, save cooking water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium eggplant chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 32 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup fresh basil sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes more or less to taste
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese plus extra to garnish
- 8 ounces burrata cheese divided
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Save 1.5 cups of the cooking water, and drain the rest of the pasta after it's done.
- In a large pan, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and cook 2-3 minutes until it begins to lightly brown. Add the eggplant and salt, stir, and cook eggplant for 4 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, and continue to cook eggplant for 8 minutes, until soft and golden.
- Remove the eggplant from the pan, and set aside in a bowl. To the pan, add the tomatoes.
- To the tomatoes, add the basil, oregano, the other 1 cup of pasta cooking water, and chili flakes. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes until tomatoes are soft.
- Add the eggplant back into the pan with the tomatoes, and cook until all vegetables are soft and tender, about 15 more minutes.
- In a 13 x 9 baking dish, add the cooked pasta and the tomato eggplant sauce. Toss well to combine and add in the parmesan cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes until the sauce begins to bubble.
- Serve the baked pasta with burrata cheese, and an extra sprinkle of parmesan and basil to garnish.
Notes
Additions and Substitutions
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- Any pasta shape works well in this dish - I like using a medium pasta like penne, but radiatori, fusili, or cavatappi would be great.
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- For a thinner sauce use crushed tomatoes, passata, or tomato sauce instead of the diced tomatoes.
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- For a spicier sauce, double the chili flakes in this recipe. For a milder sauce, you can omit them altogether.
Pro Tips
- Peeling the eggplant before sautéing can make it more tender. I like to leave the skin on, but either option works great for this pasta.
- For a spicier pasta, drizzle a little chili oil before serving.
- If you can't find burrata, you can use fresh mozzarella or ricotta cheese instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 619kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 652mg | Potassium: 862mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1008IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 567mg | Iron: 4mg