Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella
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Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice
- Salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup 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 orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups 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 mozzarella, cut into 1/3-inch dice
- 1 1/2 ounces parmesan, grated
- 3 medium tomatoes, diced
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Preparation
Step 1
Sprinkle eggplant generously with salt and let it drain in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse well and pat dry.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 3
Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
Step 4
Add the eggplant and fry for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 5
Transfer eggplant to paper towels to drain.
Step 6
Add celery and carrots to the remaining oil in the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
Step 7
Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook for 5 more minutes on medium heat.
Step 8
Stir in the orzo and tomato paste and cook for two more minutes.
Step 9
Off the heat, add the oregano, mozzarella, parmesan, tomatoes, fried eggplant, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and the stock. Mix well.
Step 10
Transfer the mixture to an 8×11-inch ovenproof baking dish.
Step 11
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then bake for another 20 minutes without the foil.
Step 12
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Step 13
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Chef's notes
Adjust the amount of lemon zest and oregano to taste.
Use vegetable broth or water as a substitute.
Consider par-cooking grains that take longer than pasta to cook before adding.
If you don't like a crunchy pasta lid, adjust the foil-on to foil-off ratio during baking.
