Eggplant Pasta Bake With Tomato & Zucchini
This cozy eggplant pasta recipe combines nutritious veggies like eggplant (aubergine), zucchini, kale, and tomatoes for a super flavourful and delicious vegetarian pasta bake. It’s topped with cheeses like parmesan and ricotta, which get nice and melty in the oven! Gluten-free option included.

This eggplant pasta bake is the ultimate comfort food, made healthy. It’s filled with nutritious veggies and topped with yummy cheeses for all the flavour.
Plus, it’s a vegetarian-friendly recipe that the whole family will love for a cozy weeknight dinner!
As a registered dietitian, I love that baked pasta recipes are also super customizable (you can use different veggies, cheeses, or pasta shapes) and are great for batch-cooking or meal prep as they make a large serving. Enjoy 🙂
Want more pasta recipe inspiration? Check out my roundup of 20+ easy, healthy pasta recipes for more ideas!
Ingredients Needed
All you need to make this baked pasta recipe are 11 simple ingredients:
- small pasta shape (I used rigatoni)
- eggplant
- tomatoes
- zucchini
- kale
- marinara sauce
- ricotta
- parmesan (freshly grated)
- dried basil
- dried thyme
- olive oil
Full measurements and detailed instructions are located in the recipe card below!
Recipe Modifications & Ingredient Swaps
- For a gluten-free option, use certified gluten-free pasta made from either brown rice, quinoa, or legumes. Be sure that the marinara sauce you’re using is also gluten-free!
- For a vegan option, use vegan/dairy-free alternatives of ricotta or parmesan. If you can’t find these, you can try using a different vegan “cheese,” like mozzarella, cheddar, feta, or goat cheese.
- Similarly, if you’d like to use different “real” cheeses, you can experiment with the ones listed above.
- Feel free to use or include different veggies. Ones like bell pepper, broccoli, or cauliflower would work well.
- Kale is optional and you could swap it with another leafy green, like spinach or swiss chard. If doing so, I would simply stir it in the baking dish, rather than on the baking sheet where the kale is added to the recipe (I only did that so it would get a little crispy!)
- Feel free to use different pasta shapes, such as penne, farfalle, or macaroni. Just be sure to use a short shape!
Frequently Asked Questions
What to serve pasta bake with?
This eggplant baked pasta is great on it’s own or served alongside your favourite protein. It would go great with some grilled chicken or other simple meats (like steak or pork). It would also work well with sautéed garlic shrimp. You can chop your cooked proteins up into smaller pieces and stir it in if you’d like!
If you’re vegan, you could use a legume-based pasta to increase the protein content. Or stir in something like chickpeas!
Are pasta bakes healthy?
They can be, depending on what’s in them! This baked pasta recipe is PACKED with vegetables which provide lots of dietary fibre, vitamins, and minerals. It’s a complete meal with sources of carbohydrates, fats, protein, and vegetables. You can learn more about the unique nutrition benefits that eggplant, zucchini, and tomato provides below!
How long will pasta bake last in the fridge?
This recipe will keep for about 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Can pasta bake be frozen?
Leftover pasta can be frozen in airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. It will maintain best quality for 1-2 months, but will be safe to eat beyond that time.
After thawing in the fridge, it will keep for an additional 3-4 days. If thawing in the microwave, it should be eaten immediately.
Can pasta bake be made in advance and reheated?
Definitely! Baked pasta is actually a great option to make ahead (batch cooking or meal prep). Leftovers keep well and can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven.
Which is the best pasta for pasta bakes?
The best pasta shapes for pasta bakes are SHORT ones. This keeps the pasta in similar bite sizes like the rest of the vegetables. Anything like rigatoni, penne, cavatappi, shells, macaroni, farfalle (bowties), fusilli, orecchiette, etc. will work!
Eggplant Nutrition Benefits
Eggplant is:
- a good source of dietary fibre
- a source of vitamins + minerals, like manganese, folate, potassium, vitamin K, and vitamin C
- high in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins (which give them their vibrant purple colour!)
Tomato Nutrition Benefits
Tomatoes are:
- rich in micronutrients, including vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K
- a good source of dietary fibre
- high in antioxidants, like lycopene and beta-carotene
Zucchini Nutrition Benefits
Zucchini is rich in many micronutrients, like:
- vitamin A
- vitamin C
- vitamin K
- vitamin B6
- folate
- manganese
- magnesium
- potassium
- copper
This summer squash is also a great source of:
- dietary fibre
- antioxidants, especially carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin
More Healthy Pasta Bake Recipes
- Taco Pasta Bake With Tofu (Vegetarian)
- Tuna Tomato Pasta Bake
- Baked Tomato Pasta With Feta & Eggs
- Baked Pesto Pasta With Broccoli
Did you give this Eggplant Pasta Bake Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
Get the Recipe: Eggplant Pasta Bake With Tomato & Zucchini
Ingredients
- 8 cups eggplant, chopped
- 3 cups zucchini, chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 box pasta, small shape (approx. 454 grams or 1 pound)
- 2 cups kale, stems removed + torn into small pieces
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 4 med-large tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 cup parmesan, freshly grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (for pasta).
- Toss chopped eggplant and zucchini in olive oil, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Spread in an even layer and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Cook pasta to 2-3 minutes less than package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and add kale pieces on top of zucchini and eggplant. Toss together and return to oven for 2 minutes, until kale is tender and slightly crisp.
- Remove veggies from oven and add to a LARGE baking dish (see notes). Add pasta, marinara sauce, and fresh tomatoes. Toss to combine well.
- Top with parmesan and ricotta in an even layer. Place baking dish in oven and continue to cook for 20 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned and the top layer of pasta bake is slightly crisp.
- Remove from oven and serve hot!
Notes
- This recipe will keep for about 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Leftover pasta can be frozen in airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. It will maintain best quality for 1-2 months, but will be safe to eat beyond that time.
- After thawing in the fridge, it will keep for an additional 3-4 days. If thawing in the microwave, it should be eaten immediately.
- Baked pasta is a great option to make ahead (batch cooking or meal prep). Leftovers keep well and can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven.
- For a gluten-free option, use certified gluten-free pasta made from either brown rice, quinoa, or legumes. Be sure that the marinara sauce you’re using is also gluten-free!
- For a vegan option, use vegan/dairy-free alternatives of ricotta or parmesan. If you can’t find these, you can try using a different vegan “cheese,” like mozzarella, cheddar, feta, or goat cheese.
- Similarly, if you’d like to use different “real” cheeses, you can experiment with the ones listed above.
- Feel free to use or include different veggies. Ones like bell pepper, broccoli, or cauliflower would work well.
- Kale is optional and you could swap it with another leafy green, like spinach or swiss chard. If doing so, I would simply stir it in the baking dish (step 5), rather than on the baking sheet where the kale is added to the recipe (I only did that so it would get a little crispy!)
- Feel free to use different pasta shapes, such as rigatoni, penne, cavatappi, shells, macaroni, farfalle (bowties), fusilli, orecchiette, etc. Just be sure to use a short shape!
- This eggplant baked pasta is great on it’s own or served alongside your favourite protein.
- It would go great with some grilled chicken or other simple meats (like steak or pork). It would also work well with sautéed garlic shrimp. You can chop your cooked proteins up into smaller pieces and stir it in if you’d like!
- If you’re vegan, you could use a legume-based pasta to increase the protein content. Or stir in something like chickpeas!
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
26 Comments on “Eggplant Pasta Bake With Tomato & Zucchini”
I loved this recipe! Made it gf and I used goat cheese but will try another time with ricotta. The vegetables still had a nice texture since they were roasted first. Thanks for another great one!
Hi Charlotte! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! It’s so appreciated. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe – I’m sure it tasted great with goat cheese!!
Eggplant, zucchini, and pasta are some of my favourites, so this one was a win for me. Nourishing and comforting, plus easy to make!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Mallory!! It’s so appreciated. So happy to hear this one featured a bunch of your favourites and that you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
This recipe was delicious and it made a ton of leftovers! It was very veggieful without being too bland. sprinkled a little crushed red pepper on top for extra flavor but it was also amazing without it
Hi Carole! Thank you so much for sharing your experience. So happy to hear that you enjoyed this one. Baked pasta is such a great way to get those veggies in :). Love the addition of some red pepper for an extra kick, too!!
I had to use what I have in the house and ended up using tomato basil soup instead of marinara sauce. Super light and very delicious. Also used asparagus instead of the zucchini. SO yummy! Totally putting this on my dinner rotation!!
Hi Amanda! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! I’m so happy you enjoyed this one. I love how you used up what you had in the fridge – my favourite kind of recipes are the ones that are versatile like that hehe 🙂
Delicious food combo and easy to throw together! My husband and I loved it! This recipe is a keeper, I will definitely be making this again!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Patty! It’s so appreciated! So happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed this one 🙂
PS. if you enjoy pasta bakes, you may also like this Taco Pasta Bake or this Tuna Tomato Pasta Bake!!
Can I use cherry tomatoes with this recipe?
Hi Laura! Yes definitely!! Any tomato would work fine here 🙂
Thank you I ended up using cherry tomatoes it was very delicious
So happy to hear that, Laura! Thank you 🙂
We absolutely loved this recipe! I actually added ground turkey to the sauce so that I didn’t have to make any meat on the side and it was wonderful! The kids loved it! Definitely making this again
Hi Zoe! Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I’m so happy that the whole family enjoyed this one. LOVE that you added ground turkey to it – that would pair perfectly 🙂
Delicious and easy recipe and a great way to use summer produce from the garden!
Thank you so much, Joan!! I’m so glad you enjoy this one. Ah I can only imagine how much lovelier this is with produce from your own garden 🙂
So great! Thank you!
So happy to hear that, Laura! Thank YOU for sharing 🙂
I wasn’t impressed. It seemed dry so I did add a little more sauce and cheese. However, it was branded. I would maybe add some garlic and crushed red peppers.
Hi Diane! Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this one. I’m not entirely sure what you mean by “branded”? It’s a really popular recipe on my blog, so I’m not sure what went wrong. It’s not meant to be dry at all!
I can not express how amazing this was. I have had eggplant before and I didn’t really like it, but I used it anyways. It was so delicious my boyfriend loved it too has to be the top recipe I’ve had in a long time. I added chickpea pasta in it and it added the perfect flavor. Will definitely make again in the very near future. Who knew ricotta cheese was so good!
Hi Zoey!! Thank you SO much for taking the time to leave this kind review. Best thing to read on a Monday morning :)! I’m so happy to hear that both you and your boyfriend loved this one. Yess ricotta is so creamy and delicious! Thank you again!!!
My Family and I love e this recipee. I found it by accident, boy am I glad I did. I alternate between Italian sausage and meatballs and garlic bread to go with it. Thanks for this fantastic recipee
Hi Gee! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review – it’s so appreciated! I’m so happy to hear that you and your family enjoy this pasta bake. Those pairings sound so delicious!!