Baked Penne With Eggplant, Tomatoes, Olives and Cheese

A Taste of Autumn Recipes – One-Dish Meals from Sargento Whether entertaining or cooking a casual family dinner at home, be sure to have fun in the kitchen this Fall with bold, seasonal flavors using this Sargento recipe guide developed by Mara Papatheodorou, contributor to Bon Appétit and The Food Network. Fall is in the air! The weather is crisp, the leaves are ablaze with color and autumn harvests of seasonal vegetables are plentiful. Butternut squash, corn, eggplant and zucchini—hearty in flavor and even better when mixed with Sargento Artisan Blends cheese—are savored in these delicious from oven-to-table one-dish meals. From Baked Penne with Eggplant, Tomatoes, Olives and Cheese to Zucchini Parmigiana, each of these hearty Fall meals are perfect for keeping you warm and full during the cooler weather. These recipes can be located at http://www.sargento.com/promotions/2009/09/11/Taste_of_Autumn_PDF.pdf

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 7  tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1  tablespoon  minced garlic
• 1  medium eggplant, cut into cubes
• 4  tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• 1 (4 1/4ounce) can  chopped black olives
• 1 (24 ounce) jar  olive oil and garlic  pasta sauce
•  salt, to taste
•  pepper, to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) box penne pasta
• 2  cups  sargento artisan blends shredded mozzarella & provolone cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Brush a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoons olive oil.
2. In a heavy skillet, combine remaining olive oil, garlic, eggplant and oregano. Cook 15 minutes until eggplant softens. Mix in olives and pasta sauce and simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, cook penne in boiling salted water for 11. minutes to al dente firm. Drain.
4. Stir penne into vegetable mixture. Fold in 1-1/2 cups cheese. Transfer to the prepared baking dish; sprinkle with remaining cheese and cover with foil. Bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake about 15 minutes more until cheese begins to brown.