Name: Easy Cheesy Pasta Gratin with Eggplant
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 240 g pasta of choice; Olive oil; 1 small eggplant (cut into 1 cm slices ); Olive oil; 1 shallot (finely chopped); 1 carrot (finely grated); 2 cloves of garlic (finely grated); 2 tbsp tomato paste; 4 dl tomato passata; 1 dl water; 0.5 tsp oregano (dried); 0.5 tsp basil (dried); salt (to taste); black pepper (to taste); 1 tbsp butter; 1 tbsp flour; 1.5 dl milk; salt (to taste); white pepper (to taste); 125 g mozzarella (shredded)

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Easy Cheesy Pasta Gratin with Eggplant

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Total Time 50

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

240 g pasta of choice
Olive oil
1 small eggplant cut into 1 cm slices

Tomato sauce

Olive oil
1 shallot finely chopped
1 carrot finely grated
2 cloves of garlic finely grated
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 dl tomato passata
1 dl water
0.5 tsp oregano dried
0.5 tsp basil dried
salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Bechamel Sauce

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1.5 dl milk
salt to taste
white pepper to taste

Topping

125 g mozzarella shredded

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 C.
Slice eggplant into 1 cm circles and then cut the circles in halves.
Heat a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add some olive oil.
Place the sliced eggplants in the pan, sprinkle with some salt and let cook while preparing everything else. Flip them once in a while and keep an eye on them so they do not burn.
Finley chop shallot, finely grate carrot and finely grate garlic.
Heat a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add some olive oil.
Sauté shallot and carrot for 5 min.
Add garlic and sauté 1 min.
Add tomato paste and sauté 2 min.
Add tomato passata and water and stir.
Season with oregano, basil, salt and black pepper. Let simmer while cooking the pasta.
In salted water, cook the pasta al dente.
Meanwhile, make the béchamel sauce. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk fast. Add milk and whisk until the flour has dissolved. Raise the heat to medium high and let the sauce thicken while stirring constantly. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. When thickened, set the sauce aside.
Strain the cooked pasta and add the pasta to the tomato sauce. Stir to coat the pasta.
Transfer the pasta and tomato sauce into an ovenproof form. Top with eggplant, then the béchamel sauce and lastly some shredded mozzarella.
Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 min.
Raise the heat to 250 C and move the pan to the top part of the oven. Bake for about 2 min or until the cheese has gotten some colour.
Serve and enjoy!