Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, Eggplant and Mozzarella

01Method

1. 1

   Set your oven to 160 °C (140 °C for convection). Halve the tomatoes and place them cut-side up on a shallow baking tray. Season with salt and pepper, dust with sugar, and roast for 45 minutes.

2. 2

   While the tomatoes roast, slice the eggplant and brush with oil, then spread on another tray. Once the tomatoes have roasted for 45 minutes, place the eggplant tray in the oven alongside them and continue baking both for another 45 minutes.

3. 3

   Toward the end of vegetable roasting, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until just al dente, as it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Combine four tablespoons of olive oil with the crushed garlic and olives, then toss this mixture with the cooked pasta. Spread half of the pasta into a large baking dish.

4. 4

   Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and increase the temperature to 200 °C (180 °C for convection). Layer half of the tomatoes and their juices over the pasta, scatter with fresh basil leaves, and arrange two-thirds of the sliced mozzarella on top. Season with pepper and add the eggplant slices. Spread the remaining pasta over this, then top with the remaining tomatoes, remaining mozzarella, and finish with grated parmesan. (If preparing ahead, you can refrigerate the dish at this point.)

5. 5

   Bake for 20–25 minutes until the dish is piping hot and the top is golden brown.