Baked Pesto Pasta
with eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes
Prep & Cook Time: 40-50 min.
Cook Within: 7 days
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Spice Level: Not Spicy
Contains: Milk, Eggs, Wheat, Tree Nuts
Chef
Nigel Palmer
We've really done it this time. If this dish were only little corkscrews of pasta tangled up with sun-dried tomatoes and roasted eggplant, it would be delicious. If we added to that a creamy basil pesto sauce, it would be sublime. But when we go a step further and bake it to golden-brown perfection with mozzarella, well, the results are hard to put into words. But what isn't hard is to put it in your belly.
In Your Box (serves 2)
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8 oz. Fusilli
- 1 oz. Julienned Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- 1 Eggplant
- 2 Garlic Cloves
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6 fl. oz. Chef's Heavy Cream
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3 Tbsp. Basil Pesto
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3 oz. Shredded Mozzarella
Due to our just-in-time sourcing model, we may have to send you a substitute ingredient. Not to worry! We make sure every ingredient sent to you meets our high quality standards. We’ll keep you informed should a switch occur, so please check the ingredient labels in your meal bag.
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Nutrition (per serving)
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Calories704
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Carbohydrates102g
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Fat18g
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Protein27g
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Sodium413mg
Recipe Steps
You Will Need
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cooking Spray
- 1 Medium Pot
- 1 Medium Oven-Safe Casserole Dish
- 1 Colander
- 1 Small Bowl
- 1 Large Non-Stick Pan
- 1 Baking Sheet
Before You Cook
Cooking Guidelines
To ensure food safety, the FDA recommends the following as minimum internal cooking temperatures:
- Steak and Pork 145° F (rest cooked meat, 3 minutes) |
- Seafood 145° F |
- Chicken 165° F |
- Ground Beef 160° F |
- Ground Turkey 165° F |
- Ground Pork 160° F
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1 Cook the Pasta
Scoop out ½ cup boiling water into a small bowl and reserve for next step. Place fusilli into boiling water and cook 9 minutes. Drain in colander and return to pot. Pasta will not be fully tender, but will finish cooking in a later step.
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2 Prepare the Ingredients
Add sun-dried tomatoes to small bowl with boiled water, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and rehydrate at least 5 minutes. Trim ends off eggplant and cut into ½" dice. Mince garlic.
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3 Cook the Eggplant
Place a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Working in two batches if necessary, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and eggplant to hot pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5-6 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender. Remove from heat. To pot with fusilli, add eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes and steeping liquid, cream, garlic, and pesto. Stir to combine and season with ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper.
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4 Bake the Pasta
Transfer pasta to prepared casserole dish and top with shredded mozzarella. Put casserole dish on top of baking sheet and bake 15-18 minutes, or until pasta is hot and cheese is golden brown.
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5 Plate the Dish
Serve family style and dig in!
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