Cheesy Baked Pasta with Eggplant and Artichokes

This easy, scrumptious vegetarian pasta dish is packed with nutritious veggies and a whole lotta love! So healthy and comforting.

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Eggplant and Artichokes – This easy, scrumptious vegetarian pasta dish is packed with nutritious veggies! So healthy and comforting. | thecomfortofcooking.com

Happy Friday, little lovebirds! I hope you had a delicious, indulgent Valentines Day. I spent mine stretching out my stresses at yoga, tackling all my to-do’s, and capping off the day with tasty Spanish tapas for dinner in downtown Austin. It was a fabulous day with good food and great company!

Now that the day of love is over and winter is winding down, it’s time to start loving your body again! I, for one, am committed to a fit, healthy start to spring through smarter eating and more movin’ and shakin’!

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Eggplant and Artichokes – This easy, scrumptious vegetarian pasta dish is packed with nutritious veggies! So healthy and comforting. | thecomfortofcooking.com

This vegetarian whole wheat pasta dish is packed with fiber-rich eggplant and artichokes, which are loaded with antioxidants and help lower cholesterol! Smothered in pasta sauce (here’s my favorite marinara) and sprinkled with a bit of Sargento mozzarella, this baked penne with eggplant is mouthwatering comfort food heaven!

Try it as an easy weeknight dinner or to ease into healthier, yet still hearty, eating this season. This meatless meal is even manivore-approved!

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Eggplant and Artichokes

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Eggplant and Artichokes

Yield: 4

Ingredients

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 medium eggplant, cut into cubes
  • 1 cup 8 oz. whole wheat pasta, (rotini, penne, farfalle or ziti work best)
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jar, about 6 oz. artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups 24 oz. pasta sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups Sargento® Shredded Mozzarella & Provolone Cheese, divided

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a large casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In large, heavy skillet set to medium heat, add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add eggplant and cook 10-12 minutes, or until eggplant has mostly softened.
  3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions for al dente. Drain and set aside.
  4. To the skillet with softened eggplant, add onion, garlic, artichoke, pasta sauce and seasonings. Simmer for about 8 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
  5. Stir pasta into vegetable mixture. Fold in 1 cup cheese and transfer to prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and cover with aluminum foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake about 10 minutes more, until cheese begins to brown.
  6. Enjoy!

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Join the Conversation

  1. This pasta sounds really delicious – I love meals that are comforting and yet full of good stuff!

  2. YUM! Can’t wait to try :)

  3. Your day sounds great-I am missing yoga! This pasta dish is perfect-cheesy and gooey and healthy!

  4. This is probably my favorite thing in the world Georgia!

  5. oh goodness! this sounds great. i love eggplant and haven’t had it in so long!

  6. Loving this dish. Making next time I make pasta :-)

  7. I love the eggplant in this dish! Okay, and the cheese, too. :)

  8. This looks fabulous and I love that it’s healthy at the same time!

  9. What time is dinner? This looks incredible, Georgia!

  10. I’ll bring the wine if you save me some leftovers!!!

  11. I love throwing eggplant into my pasta dishes. I just love it with tomato sauce really! Sometimes I make portobello pizzas with tomato sauce and cheese. :) This looks like my kind of Friday night meal Georgia!

  12. I SO love a baked pasta dish + one that has some healthier notes as well? Win-win! This looks just fabulous, Georgia!

  13. I love this hearty vegetarian pasta dish Georgia – no one would ever miss the meat. Great idea with whole wheat pasta too.

  14. You can always get me with cheesy pasta. The first few months of pregnancy, I ate cheesy pasta non-stop. The addition of the eggplant and artichokes makes this even more special though! Thank you for sharing with me. I hope you had a fabulous week, and I hope your weekend brims with good food, laughter, and love.

  15. This is genius! Can’t wait to make:)

  16. Cheesy genius my friend, this is utterly brilliant :D

    Cheers
    CCU

  17. This does sounds wonderful…I needed yoga today, and just went for my power walk.
    Anyhow I am loving your pasta, so inviting and delicious looking! Well done as always!

  18. This looks so hearty and delicious!

  19. Whoa, YUM! I so need this in my life. And my tummy.

  20. The pasta looks out of this world delicious with the flavour combo, Georgia.

  21. This looks like a lovely and tasty pasta dish. I enjoy artichokes a lot, so this looks really good to me.

  22. Yum! This pasta sounds amazing. I would never think to pair both eggplant and artichokes together!

  23. Wow Georgia! As if cheesy baked pasta weren’t enough, you have to go and add eggplant which I love and can eat in so many forms! This looks spectacular!

  24. This looks so great Georgia.. love me some baked pasta with cheese, anyway, anytime. :-)

  25. Sounds like you had a great Valentine’s Day! Yoga and Tapas are two of my favorite things :)

    This pasta sounds like a healthy twist on Eggplant Parm (my favorite.) Love it!

  26. I need yoga back in my crazy routine badly…. your day was just perfect :)
    This pasta looks fabulous Georgia… absolutely comforting n delicious. .

  27. Love the added eggplant in this recipe! So comforting :)

  28. This looks amazing! Artichokes and eggplants are so good to have with pasta!

  29. This looks so mouth-watering. Though I am not really fond of eggplants.

  30. I saw the photo on FB and just had to pop over to take a look. This is great looking comfort food and a wonderful meal. I love the addition of artichoke hearts. This must be very yummy xx

  31. Love, love, love this! I’m not even an eggplant person but I’m still going to make this and devour every last bite of it!

  32. I absolutely love the idea of the eggplant and artichokes in here! My husband doesn’t eat either, so I think I’ll be putting this on my menu for lunch soon!

  33. I am really loving this combination!

  34. I make a similar pasta bake too and it’s one of my favorite quick meals. Next time I’m going to have to try adding some artichokes! :)

  35. Can’t seem to get enough eggplant lately, so this is perfect! Will have to try this out.

  36. This looks delicious! Eggplant and artichokes are two of my favorite foods, and they just HAVE to be delicious in pasta!

  37. Love the addition of artichokes and eggplant to pasta! I’ve never thought to thrown artichokes in, and I bet it goes great with the eggplant.

  38. I absolutely love adding eggplant to pasta dishes. This looks amazing!

  39. Just made this tonight! It was quick and tasted amazing! Thanks for the great recipe.

  40. Just made this and I have to say thank you, because it is so good! This recipe is a real keeper, it is hearty, filling, and delicious.

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