Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella

Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella

Details

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 large (mine was just over 1 1/4 pounds/570 grams) eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 celery stalk, in a 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 ounces (225 grams) orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon (6 grams) tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) vegetable stock
  • 1 to 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or more to taste, up to the zest of a whole lemon
  • 4 ounces (115 grams) mozzarella, firmer is better here, cut into 1/3-inch dice
  • 1 1/2 ounces (a generous 1/2 cup or 45 grams) parmesan, grated
  • 3 medium tomatoes, diced

Preparation

  1. Sprinkle the eggplant generously with salt and let it drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Use this time to prepare the remaining ingredients. Rinse the eggplant well and pat it dry.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the eggplant. Fry for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, then transfer to paper towels with a slotted spoon or spatula. Add the celery and carrots to the remaining oil and cook for 1 to 3 minutes before adding the onion and garlic. Cook together over medium heat for 5 more minutes. Stir in the orzo and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the oregano, mozzarella, parmesan, tomatoes, eggplant, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and stock, and mix well.

  3. Transfer mixture to an 8×11-inch (about 2 quarts) ovenproof baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, then bake 20 minutes without the foil. (You can increase the ratio of foil-on to foil-off time if you don’t like a crunchy pasta lid.) Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Tips:

  • Rinse the salted eggplant, and cook the vegetables until tender because they will not soften much in the oven.
  • Water can replace the vegetable broth, and canned tomatoes can replace fresh tomatoes.
  • Use half as much dried oregano as fresh. Thyme also works, but use half as much because it is stronger.
  • Whole-wheat orzo works as written. Other grains may need more broth and should be par-cooked if they take longer than pasta.

Originally from Smitten Kitchen