A really good pasta that does not require a lot of hard-to-find ingredients. It's a classic Italian dish that really shows how good the simple can be. With just a few ingredients such as eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, and basil, you can cook a meal that both tastes wonderful and gives you the feeling of being in Italy. Good quality and flavorful tomatoes are a prerequisite for success with this pasta. The best part? You don't have to be a master chef to succeed with this recipe.
You will need
14 oz of high-quality rigatoni or penne
14 oz of eggplant, cut into 0.4-inch cubes
21 oz of ripe and flavorful tomatoes, cut into small cubes
Canola oil, peanut oil, or other neutral oil for frying
0.3 cups of olive oil
3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 dried peperoncino, crumbled
Freshly ground black pepper
Flake salt
1–2 tsp of honey
4.4 ounces of mozzarella (drained weight), cut into 0.8-inch cubes
1.3 cups of freshly grated parmesan
0.4 cups of fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
For serving
Freshly grated parmesan
Dried peperoncino or fresh red chili
Basil leaves
How to make it
1. Prepare all ingredients that need to be chopped, diced, or grated.
14 oz of eggplant, cut into 0.4-inch cubes
21 oz of ripe and flavorful tomatoes, cut into small cubes
3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4.4 ounces of mozzarella (drained weight), cut into 0.8-inch cubes
1.3 cups of freshly grated parmesan
0.4 cups of fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
2. Heat plenty of neutral oil in a pot or pan. Fry the eggplant cubes in the oil in batches until they become dark, almost black. Let them drain on paper towels.
Canola oil, peanut oil, or other neutral oil for frying
14 oz of eggplant, cut into 0.4-inch cubes
3. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Set to medium heat and sauté garlic and peperoncino for a short while under stirring (about 30 seconds), without the garlic taking color.
0.3 cups of olive oil
3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 dried peperoncino, crumbled
4. Add tomatoes and eggplant and let cook on high heat without a lid for about 10–15 minutes. Excess liquid should boil away.
14 oz of fried eggplant, cut into 0.4 inch cubes
21 oz of ripe and flavorful tomatoes, cut into small cubes
5. Add salt and pepper and balance with honey as needed.
Freshly ground black pepper
Flake salt
1–2 tsp of honey
6. Pour plenty of water into a large pot. Put on a lid and bring to a boil. When the water boils, add salt (see tips below). Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the package but 1–2 minutes shorter because it will cook with the sauce. Reserve some pasta water in case the sauce needs to be diluted.
½ tbsp salt/4 cups of water
14 oz of high-quality rigatoni or penne
7. Turn the pasta into the sauce and stir until the pasta is covered with sauce. Let it cook for a minute or two until the pasta is perfect al dente. Turn in mozzarella and parmesan. Stir until the pasta is covered with sauce and the cheese has melted. Finally, turn in the basil leaves.
14 oz of cooked, high-quality rigatoni or penne
4.4 ounces of mozzarella (drained weight), cut into 0.8-inch cubes
1.3 cups of freshly grated parmesan
0.4 cups of fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
8. Serve the pasta laid out on individual plates and top with freshly grated parmesan and a basil leaf. Serve dried or fresh chili on the side.
Freshly grated parmesan
Dried peperoncino or fresh red chili
Basil leaves
Tip 1: Add salt to the pasta water only when it is boiling. Otherwise, the salt makes the water boil up slower.
Tip 2: Make several batches up to and including step 5 and freeze. Thaw the sauce and complete the dish by following the instructions in step 6–8.
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