Baked Pasta alla Norma

I’ve recently attempted to go gluten-free (OK I slip up with a piece of cake every now and then)…but for the most part I’ve cut it out. I’ve learned that gluten is practically in everything we consume but luckily, we live in a time where substitutions are becoming more available. All I did to make this dish gluten-free was use Ronzoni’s gluten-free spaghetti. My gluten-loving fiancé said that if I hadn’t told him the pasta was gluten-free, he wouldn’t have been able to tell a difference. The original recipe called for 4 oz parmesan - I didn’t have that so I used 1 oz parmesan and 3 oz mozzerella. I’m sure either way it’d be delicious.

Original recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium globe eggplant, peeled, cut into ½" pieces

• 2 pints cherry tomatoes

• 8 garlic cloves, smashed

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for skillet

• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for sprinkling

• Kosher salt

• 2 large eggs

• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste

• 1 oz. finely grated Parmesan, divided

• 3 oz. mozzerella

• 1 lb. gluten-free or gluten-full spaghetti (I used Ronzoni’s)

• 2 Tbsp. drained capers

• ½ cup torn basil, plus a few whole leaves

RECIPE PREPARATION

• Preheat oven to 425°. Combine eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, ¼ cup oil, and ½ tsp. red pepper flakes. If it fits in your cast iron skillet, roast it in that, if not just use a regular baking dish. Season generously with salt and toss to combine. Roast, shaking skillet once or twice, until eggplant is tender and tomatoes burst, 25–35 minutes. Let vegetables cool while you prepare the pasta (watch out for the hot handle when you take the skillet out of the oven). Reduce oven temperature to 400°.

• Whisk eggs and tomato paste in a medium bowl until smooth, then whisk in about three-quarters of Parmesan.

• Cook spaghetti in a pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Immediately drain pasta in a colander and shake to remove excess water; transfer pasta back to pot.

• Add cooled vegetable mixture to pot with pasta. Wipe out skillet and drizzle in a little oil; roll around in skillet to coat. Add egg mixture to pasta and toss vigorously with tongs until pasta is evenly coated. Add capers and ½ cup basil and toss again to combine.

• Transfer pasta mixture to skillet and press gently into an even layer. Top with remaining Parmesan, a few whole basil leaves, and an extra sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

• Bake pasta until surface is nicely browned, 30–35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting into wedges for serving.