Pasta with Caponata
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
2 eggplants
1 TB kosher salt
8 oz dry short pasta (closest I had was orecchiette)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled, lightly crushed
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 rib celery, diced
2 TB pine nuts, toasted (walnuts are another good choice)
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 TB capers, chopped a bit
1 TB white sugar
2 TB red wine vinegar
2 cups crushed tomatoes
8 basil leaves, torn
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
Directions
First, start with the eggplants. Trim off the top and the tail, then remove the peel, either completely, in alternating strips (which is what I did), or not at all, it's your preference. Once it's peeled (or not), cut the eggplants into 1/2-inch cubes, then throw the cubes in a large colander and sprinkle over the salt. Give it a good toss, then let it sit and drain, in the sink or over a bowl, for about 20 minutes, and maybe toss it a couple of times while you're prepping your other ingredients.
Next, add the oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. Toss in the garlic cloves and let them cook in the oil for 30-45 seconds, them remove them and set them aside for later.
After that, turn the heat on the skillet up as high as you dare, then in with the eggplant cubes. Cook and stir, stir and cook, just until the cubes start to soften and take up a little color, maybe 6-8 minutes, then cut the heat back a bit to medium-high or so. Set the colander you used earlier over a bowl, then tip in the cooked eggplant, and let it drain for just a few minutes. You'll want that garlicky oil that comes off them.
With the skillet back over medium-high heat, pour in that reserved oil (add a little more if you think you need it), then in go the onions, celery, and peppers. Cook and stir again, until they start to go soft. Pitch in the pine nuts, red pepper flakes, capers and the garlic cloves you definitely didn't toss out (give them a rough chop or slice if you like, but it's not necessary). Cook that for 1-2 minutes, stirring as you go.
Now's a good time to start the water boiling for the pasta (salt the water, of course). When it's boiling, plunge in the pasta and cook it according to the package it came in. Mine was about 13 minutes.
Back to the sauce...stir in the sugar and the vinegar and let that cook for about a minute or so, then tumble in the eggplant and cook and stir that for another 1-2 minutes, just to get it mixed in, and then pour in the tomatoes (and rinse the container with a little water, just to get it all). Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then dial the heat all the way down to low.
About this time, your pasta should be finishing up on the boil. Using a spider or a slotted spoon, transfer it over to the sauce, and add maybe 1/4 cup of pasta water to the sauce as well. Bung in the basil, then gently stir/fold the whole mess, adding more pasta water to get the sauce to your preferred consistency.
Plate it up, crown with the cheese, and serve!
Recipe similar to one from allrecipes.com
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
2 eggplants
1 TB kosher salt
8 oz dry short pasta (closest I had was orecchiette)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled, lightly crushed
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 rib celery, diced
2 TB pine nuts, toasted (walnuts are another good choice)
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 TB capers, chopped a bit
1 TB white sugar
2 TB red wine vinegar
2 cups crushed tomatoes
8 basil leaves, torn
1/2 cup grated pecorino cheese
Directions
First, start with the eggplants. Trim off the top and the tail, then remove the peel, either completely, in alternating strips (which is what I did), or not at all, it's your preference. Once it's peeled (or not), cut the eggplants into 1/2-inch cubes, then throw the cubes in a large colander and sprinkle over the salt. Give it a good toss, then let it sit and drain, in the sink or over a bowl, for about 20 minutes, and maybe toss it a couple of times while you're prepping your other ingredients.
Next, add the oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. Toss in the garlic cloves and let them cook in the oil for 30-45 seconds, them remove them and set them aside for later.
After that, turn the heat on the skillet up as high as you dare, then in with the eggplant cubes. Cook and stir, stir and cook, just until the cubes start to soften and take up a little color, maybe 6-8 minutes, then cut the heat back a bit to medium-high or so. Set the colander you used earlier over a bowl, then tip in the cooked eggplant, and let it drain for just a few minutes. You'll want that garlicky oil that comes off them.
With the skillet back over medium-high heat, pour in that reserved oil (add a little more if you think you need it), then in go the onions, celery, and peppers. Cook and stir again, until they start to go soft. Pitch in the pine nuts, red pepper flakes, capers and the garlic cloves you definitely didn't toss out (give them a rough chop or slice if you like, but it's not necessary). Cook that for 1-2 minutes, stirring as you go.
Now's a good time to start the water boiling for the pasta (salt the water, of course). When it's boiling, plunge in the pasta and cook it according to the package it came in. Mine was about 13 minutes.
Back to the sauce...stir in the sugar and the vinegar and let that cook for about a minute or so, then tumble in the eggplant and cook and stir that for another 1-2 minutes, just to get it mixed in, and then pour in the tomatoes (and rinse the container with a little water, just to get it all). Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then dial the heat all the way down to low.
About this time, your pasta should be finishing up on the boil. Using a spider or a slotted spoon, transfer it over to the sauce, and add maybe 1/4 cup of pasta water to the sauce as well. Bung in the basil, then gently stir/fold the whole mess, adding more pasta water to get the sauce to your preferred consistency.
Plate it up, crown with the cheese, and serve!
Recipe similar to one from allrecipes.com
