Tana Ramsay's Beef and Aubergine Rigatoni Bake with Tomato and Basil

Name: Tana Ramsay's Beef and Aubergine Rigatoni Bake with Tomato and Basil
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 aubergines cut lengthways into 1cm slices; 300g rigatoni; 3 tbsp olive oil plus extra for the dish; 1 onion peeled and finely chopped; 1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped; Salt flakes; Black pepper; 500g lean minced beef; 3 tbsp tomato puree; 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce; 2 400g cans chopped tomatoes; handful of basil leaves finely chopped; 660g low-fat cottage cheese drained; 100g parmesan cheese finely grated; 125g ball mozzarella cheese sliced

Over a year ago 5,023 views

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 60 mins

Italian Main Course

Ingredients

2 aubergines cut lengthways into 1cm slices
300g rigatoni
3 tbsp olive oil plus extra for the dish
1 onion peeled and finely chopped
1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
Salt flakes
Black pepper
500g lean minced beef
3 tbsp tomato puree
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 400g cans chopped tomatoes
handful of basil leaves finely chopped
660g low-fat cottage cheese drained
100g parmesan cheese finely grated
125g ball mozzarella cheese sliced

Accompaniment

Method

1
Put the aubergine slices in a colander, sprinkle with plenty of salt and stand the colander over a bowl for 15-20
minutes to draw out the water.

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes, or according to package instructions, until al dente. Drain, drizzle with 1 tbsp of the oil, season and toss. Set aside.

Heat another tbsp of the oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat and cook the onion, chilli and garlic for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Add the minced beef and cook for another 5-6 minutes, until it is browned all over. Add the tomato purée and worcestershire sauce, season with salt and pepper, then add the tomatoes and basil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/375F/gas 5.

Meanwhile, rinse the salt from the aubergine slices and pat dry with kitchen paper. Pour the remaining oil into a large nonstick frying pan or griddle placed over a high heat, and fry or griddle the aubergine for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown.

You may need to do this in batches. Lightly oil a 22cm x 28cm deep ovenproof dish. Lay a third of the auberginein the dish, then spread over half the pasta. Add half the cottage cheese, then half the beef mixture and a third of the parmesan. Repeat the layers, then finish with the remaining aubergine slices and parmesan. Arrange the mozzarella evenly over the top. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbling around the sides. Serve hot.