Total Time:  1 hour 10 minutes     Serves: 4 

Ingredients 

2-3 cups of marinara sauce 

2 medium eggplants (about 2 ¼ pounds total) 

¼ cup + 1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste 

8 ounces Rigatoni 

½ cup chopped fresh basil, plus extra torn leaves for garnish 

½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste 

½ teaspoon dried oregano 

¾ cup vegan Parmesan Cheese  

2 tablespoons vegan Parmesan Cheese, grated for garnish 

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.  Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup. 

Use a vegetable peeler to shave off long alternating strips of eggplant peel.  The eggplants will look striped when you’re done.  Slice the eggplants into ½ -inch-thick rounds, discarding the end pieces.  Place them in a colander and then salt them to drain for 15-30 minutes. 

Dry off eggplant and place it on the lined baking sheets.  Brush the rounds with olive oil on both sides.  Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and pepper.  Roast until deeply golden and tender, about 35 to 45 minutes, flipping after 20 minutes.  Set aside. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions.  Reserve some pasta cooking water before draining (about ½ cup), then return the pasta to the pot. 

When the eggplant is done and the marinara is warmed up, gently stir the roasted eggplant into the sauce.  Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil, fresh basil, red pepper flakes and dried oregano. 

Add the pasta to the sauce with a couple tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking water, and gently stir it in.  Add the Parmesan cheese.  Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper.  You can add a bit more of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen up the sauce, if desired. 

Lightly sprinkle vegan parmesan cheese on top of the individual servings, followed by extra fresh basil.