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Eggplant Casserole

A baked casserole of sliced eggplant, ziti pasta, ricotta, spaghetti sauce, and Parmesan cheese.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 7 ingredients
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Why it works: Eggplant and olive match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 943 recipes. Both carry alpha-pinene, which smells pine, turpentine. The science ↓

Eggplant Casserole

3–4 people
Oven425°F
Timeabout 20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the eggplant

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

  2. Peel the eggplant and cut it crosswise into thin slices.

  3. Dredge each slice in flour and brown on both sides in hot oil.

  4. Drain the slices on paper towels.

Assemble the casserole

  1. Cook the ziti for 6 minutes until al dente; drain and return to the pot.

  2. Mix the cooked ziti with ricotta, half the spaghetti sauce, and half the Parmesan cheese.

  3. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with a layer of ziti and top with a layer of eggplant.

  4. Repeat the layers of ziti and eggplant until both are used up.

  5. Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.

Bake and serve

  1. Bake until brown and crispy, about 20 minutes.

  2. Serve to 3–4 people.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

893Calories
35 gProtein
32 gFat
110 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Ricotta Cheese1/2 cup (124g) part-skim174
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Eggplant1 cup cubed (82g)35
Saucenot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Eggplant + olivetop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together943 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

  2. Eggplant + flourtop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together371 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  3. Olive + parmesan cheesetop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,233 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).

  4. Ricotta cheese + parmesan cheesetop 13% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together449 recipes

    Shared aroma: myrcene (balsamic, herbaceous).

  5. Olive + ricotta cheesetop 15% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together624 recipes

    Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggplant
Its thin slices, browned in oil, give the layers a tender texture and savory flavor.
Olive oil
Carries heat for browning the eggplant and adds richness to its surface.
Ziti
Pasta forms the bulk of the casserole and holds the layers together.
Ricotta cheese
Adds creaminess and moisture to the pasta layers.
Spaghetti sauce
Provides moisture and tomato acidity that keeps the layers from drying out.
Parmesan cheese
Melts and browns on top, adding savory flavor and a crisp finish.

The step that matters

Browning the eggplant slices. Eggplant soaks up oil quickly and can turn greasy or soggy if the pan is crowded or not hot enough. Browning each slice well on both sides in hot oil gives a golden surface and a firmer texture that holds up during baking.

Swap the eggplant

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, olive, ricotta cheese, sauce, parmesan cheese):

  1. Spinachfits better
  2. Tomatofits better
  3. Eggplantthe original
  4. Chivefits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against flour, olive, ricotta cheese, sauce, parmesan cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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