Baked Rigatoni al telefono with Smoked Mozzarella and Aubergine/Eggplant

Browsing through the produce section in Sprouts a couple of weeks ago, I turned the corner of a group of vegetable bins not realizing I had just squealed in surprise out loud! Someone might have thought that I happened upon a crate full of puppies. Instead, it was a bin of baby eggplant! This discovery was quite novel to me because I have seen eggplant before but never baby-sized ones — and they were cute! At 10 baby eggplants for $1, I meticulously rummaged through the bin to select 10 heroes (later to return to collect 10 more). My mind was racing as to how to make good use of these edible jewels.

Eggplant Parmigiana? Maybe next time. Instead, I used the perfect recipe from Domenica Marchetti’s The Glorious Pasta of Italy cookbook. If Italian cooking and pasta is a cuisine you enjoy and are interested in, you will not be disappointed by the contents of this delicious and beautiful cookbook. Last November I shared a recipe from another one of Domenica’s books, Rustic Italian, featuring the outstanding Plum-Almond Cake – Torta di Prugne E Mandorle!

The recipe calls for scamorza cheese, which I could not find in my part of the woods. I even called three specialty stores with no luck. Instead, using smoked mozzarella is what may truly be the star of this dish. While all the flavors of the basil, cheeses, sauce and eggplant are complimentary, the distinct smokiness of the cheese is not to be missed or substituted. You will not get the same unforgettable palatable experience using regular/commercial or buffalo mozzarella.

This is a quick pasta dish to make with few ingredients but with delicious traditional flavors. I enjoyed that its a meatless dish. Pair it with a complimentary light Pinot Noir or bottle of Chianti!

What is Al Telefono?
In traditional Italian cooking, any dish made with mozzarella cheese carries the name “al telefono,” a playful reference to the way melted and gooey mozzarella strings out and curls like a telephone cord when pulled.

Can’t find baby eggplant at the farmer’s market or stores…plant some!
If you’re interested in planting smaller-sized eggplant in your own garden, recommended planting season for Southern California is around April through May. Get them planted and on their way so that they’re ready for traditional late summer use.

Take a peek at the post prior to this one on Aubergine – Eggplant…

• It never hurts to have a little more sauce when serving pasta. Be sure to have plenty extra.
• For the size of the baby eggplant used, 20-22 of them was about 2 pounds.
• Couldn’t find scamorza cheese. Substituted smoked mozzarella for the scamorza. To really enjoy the true flavors of this dish, don’t substitute the smoked mozzarella for regular mozzarella.
• Next time may also add about 1/4 cup dried, herbed bread crumbs to the top for texture.
• Serve with a light wine that won’t dominate this meatless pasta dish.

 print

Baked Rigatoni al telefono with Smoked Mozzarella and Aubergine/Eggplant

source modified from The Glorious Pasta of Italy by Domenica Marchetti

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

Vegetable oil for baking dish and frying eggplant

1 1/2 – 2 pounds small purple eggplants/Aubergines, cut into large cubes
5 cups fresh tomato sauce (if you like sauce, adjust for more)

1 pound dried rigatoni or other short, sturdy pasta shape

8 ounces smoked scamorza cheese, shredded (you can substitute smoked mozzarella)
8 ounces smoked mozzarella, shredded

1/4 cup fresh basil, shredded
kosher or fine sea salt
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or vegetable oil.

Prepare to cook the eggplant by filling a large frying pan with 1/4-inch high vegetable oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Prepare layered paper towels lined with newspaper or paper bags to drain the fried eggplant.

Add some of the prepared eggplant to the hot oil in small batches, taking care not to over crowd the pan. Lightly fry until golden brown on all sides, turning the eggplant several times for about 5 minutes. Remove the batches with a slotted spoon and drain on prepared layered paper towels. Repeat until all the eggplant has been fried.

Transfer fried eggplant to a large bowl and spoon some prepared tomato sauce on top. Gently and evenly distribute the sauce amongst the eggplant. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare rigatoni pasta according to the package’s direction, but just slightly under cooking (so not quite al dente). Drain from pasta water.

Transfer cooked pasta to a very large bowl and spoon about half the sauce over it. Gently toss pasta and sauce until combined. Add eggplant, smoked scamorza (if using), smoked mozzarella, and fresh basil to the bowl. Gently toss and add salt to taste (optional).

Gently transfer the pasta and vegetables to the prepared baking dish, evenly distributing the ingredients. Spoon additional sauce over the top and sprinkle the Parmigiano on top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted, bubbly and slightly crusted on top. Let stand for 5-8 minutes before serving.

Serve with additional sauce and toss with more of the Parmigiano.

Store any leftovers covered and in the refrigerator.

I’m going to be cooking my way through Domenica’s books. However, in future posts the recipes’ methods won’t be included. Let me know if you’d like to join along as I work through and enjoy some delicious Italian food!

Disclosure: I received a copy of the cookbook “The Glorious Pasta of Italy” by Domenica Marchetti and from the Publisher, Chronicle Books. I am under no obligation to write a review of the cookbook and its authors OR write a favorable review of the cookbook and its authors. My experiences and opinions of the book are my own and receiving a copy has not created a bias on my review. Links to Amazon.com include an associate link.