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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.

Overhead photo of an eggplant, zucchini, and tomato baked pasta topped with ricotta, parmesan and thyme in a baking dish.

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!

Overhead photo of a serving of eggplant baked pasta in a bowl.

Ingredients Needed

All you need to make this baked pasta recipe are 11 simple ingredients:

Full measurements and detailed instructions are located in the recipe card below!

Recipe Modifications & Ingredient Swaps

  1. 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!
  2. 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.
  3. Similarly, if you’d like to use different “real” cheeses, you can experiment with the ones listed above.
  4. Feel free to use or include different veggies. Ones like bell pepper, broccoli, or cauliflower would work well.
  5. 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!)
  6. Feel free to use different pasta shapes, such as penne, farfalle, or macaroni. Just be sure to use a short shape!
Overhead photo of bowls of various ingredients.

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
Overhead photo of eggplant pasta bake being served into a bowl.

More Healthy Pasta Bake Recipes

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

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.
Overhead photo of an eggplant, zucchini, and tomato baked pasta topped with ricotta, parmesan and thyme in a baking dish.
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4.89 from 18 votes
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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

*BAKING DISH SIZE: I used a large baking dish that measures 12.75″W x 8″D x 3″H. If you only have a small or medium-sized baking dish, I would halve this recipe!
*STORAGE & REHEATING:
  • 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.
 
*RECIPE MODIFICATIONS & 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 (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!
 
*SERVE 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!

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!

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Pinterest graphic for an eggplant, zucchini, and tomato pasta bake recipe.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy.