Name: Pasta ’Ncasciata
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: Serves 8 to 12
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 2 pounds eggplant, sliced crosswise ½ inch thick; 1¾ teaspoons table salt, divided, plus salt for cooking pasta; 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 6 cups passata; ½ teaspoon pepper; ½ cup chopped fresh basil; 1 pound rigatoni; 6 ounces caciocavallo or sharp provolone cheese, shredded (1½ cups); 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)

Pasta ’Ncasciata

By Jessica Rudolph

Published on September 18, 2026

Time

2¼ hours

Yield

Serves 8 to 12

Ingredients

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided2 pounds eggplant, sliced crosswise ½ inch thick1¾ teaspoons table salt, divided, plus salt for cooking pasta1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed3 garlic cloves, minced6 cups passata½ teaspoon pepper½ cup chopped fresh basil1 pound rigatoni6 ounces caciocavallo or sharp provolone cheese, shredded (1½ cups)2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)

Before You Begin

Passata is an uncooked tomato puree usually found near the other tomato products in the grocery store; if you’re buying the Pomì brand, it may be labeled “strained tomatoes.” Two 26-ounce bottles or cartons will yield 6 cups. If you can’t find passata, use tomato puree. Any short, tubular pasta can be used in place of rigatoni. Caciocavallo is the traditional cheese used for this dish; you can find it in Italian markets or online.

Instructions

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil. Spray foil generously with vegetable oil spray, then brush each sheet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.

Arrange 2 pounds eggplant, sliced crosswise ½ inch thick,in single layer on prepared sheets. Brush tops of eggplant with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon table salt. Flip eggplant slices and brush with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Roast eggplant until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through roasting. Let eggplant cool on sheets. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. (Eggplant can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before proceeding with step 5.)

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed,and cook, breaking up meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 6 cups passata, ½ teaspoon pepper, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt, scraping up any browned bits. Cook, stirring frequently, until bubbling throughout, about 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup chopped fresh basil. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Warm sauce before proceeding with step 5.)

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 pound rigatoni and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until pasta is flexible but not yet cooked through, about 7 minutes. Drain pasta and return it to pot.

Set aside 2 cups sauce. Add remaining sauce to pasta and stir to coat. Transfer pasta mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle 1½ cups shredded caciocavallo over pasta, then top with eggplant, overlapping slices to make even layer. Using your hands, press lightly on eggplant to compress eggplant and pasta. Pour reserved sauce over eggplant, then sprinkle with 1 cup grated Parmesan.

Bake on upper rack until bubbling all over and beginning to brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes and serve.