Eggplant Beef & Mushroom Pasta Bake
Everybody is different… from the way we were raised, to tastes, beliefs, dislikes, favorites, opinions, and so on. As many enjoy the cold months of the year, I actually can’t stand it and David is with me on this one. Although we’re not a fan of winter, I certainly like to take advantage of it by making casseroles… 🍲
I enjoy making them for a few reasons; they’re easy to make, very tasty and economical. During the cold season, making casseroles is so comforting 🥰! Their simplicity brings warmth on a cold winter day. With a mixture of tasty ingredients, these are very satisfying!
On the website, there are many of them and they just keep coming. There’s Frankie’s Macaroni Casserole and Shepherd’s Pie that I’ve been making for over 4 decades, my lovely Tuna Casserole, Turkey Pasta Casserole or Turkey Tetrazzini, both perfect for leftover meat 🦃 after Thanksgiving or Christmas, and more.
Here’s another one to add to the list… my Eggplant Beef & Mushroom Pasta Bake! There’s nothing fancy about it but it’s sure an amazing dish to enjoy when the mercury drops outside 🥶! Loaded with yumminess, this is an incredible recipe to make!
This casserole is easy to put together. The first ingredient that has to be prepared is the eggplant 🍆. After cubing it into bite sized pieces, they have to be sautéed in oil until brown. As you know, this vegetable is like a sponge and absorbs a lot therefore 6 tablespoons of oil have to be used to achieve the results.
I know there’s a lot of olive oil but it’s good 💚 for us! Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, olive oil has great antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. It may reduce type 2 diabetes, protects against heart disease and may fight Alzheimer’s. It’s also excellent to treat arthritis.
Besides a good amount of olive oil, there’s also a lot of vegetables going into this Eggplant Beef & Mushroom Pasta Bake. To keep the earthiness of the dish, I use sea salt 🧂, freshly ground black pepper, some Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.
Like many casserole recipes, there are a couple of cans 🥫 that are added to it; diced tomatoes and pasta sauce. If you prefer, you can replace the first one by making your own Tomates Concassées and for the second can, there’s my Meatless Spaghetti Sauce that can be used instead.
Rigatoni is the pasta I prefer using but penne is also a nice choice. It’s important to not cook the noodles all the way. Cook pasta according to the package directions minus 2 minutes as they will cook more in the oven.
This Eggplant Beef & Mushroom Pasta Bake is exactly what we all need! It’s easy to make, delicious plus comforting. This is a great recipe to make during the cold months. As much as David and I would like to be somewhere warm and tropical 😎, making casseroles helps us get through the winter season…
Bon Appétit! 🍽
Check out these other delicious comforting recipes… 😀
– Pepper & Sausage Casserole
– Chicken Divan
– Southwest Beef Casserole
– Fisherman’s Pie
– Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole
– Hamburger Helper Copycat
– Lancashire Hotpot
and for even more pasta recipes 🍝, click on this link… Recipe Category • Pasta & Pizza
Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel 📽 by clicking on this link… Club Foody YouTube
Eggplant Beef & Mushroom Pasta Bake
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Ingredients
- 7 tbsp. olive oil, or as needed and divided tips & tricks
- 8 to 9 cups eggplant (1 medium), cubed
- 1 tbsp. ground Himalayan pink salt, or to taste and divided
- 1 tbsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste and divided (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1 cup white onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup red peppers, chopped
- 1/2 cup yellow peppers, chopped
- 4 cups mushrooms (about 8 large), washed and sliced
- 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
- 3 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning see Recipe
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste tips & tricks
- 1/3 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes Footnote
- 1 can (24 oz.) pasta sauce
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta, cooked minus 2 minutes
- 2 cups sharp yellow Cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 1/2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, for garnish tips & tricks
Directions
- Sauté the eggplant cubes for 10 minutes until brown and almost done. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Add another tbsp. of oil to the skillet. Add onions and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add red and yellow peppers. Sauté all the ingredients for 2 minutes before adding the sliced mushrooms. Stir until blended, add salt and pepper, and sauté the vegetables for 1 minute.
- Cover and cook for 4 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.
- Transfer the ingredients to a large bowl and set aside as well.
- To the same skillet, add ground beef, breaking it into small pieces; season with salt and pepper. Cook it until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
- Halfway through cooking, add pressed garlic and continue cooking until the meat is done.
- Stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Pour in beef broth and cook for 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 15x10-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- Return eggplant cubes and the other cooked veggies. Add diced tomatoes and past sauce; stir well and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Add half rigatoni pasta, stir to mix before adding the remaining half; stir well.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, spread it out evenly before sprinkling on grated cheese.
- Loosely cover with foil and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes; halfway through cooking, remove the foil.
- Half an hour later, remove from the heat and let it rest 5 minutes before sprinkling on some fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
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