Pasta Melanzane
Instructions:
- Eggplant and olive oil are a luxurious combination. Make sure you use a high-quality oil, one with lots of fl avor. For an easy variation, susbstitute lemon- or rosemary-fl avored oil. Makes enough sauce for 1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta
- 1 large eggplant (about 11⁄2 pounds), cut into 1⁄2-inch-thick slices
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1⁄4 cup olive oil
- 13⁄4 cups canned or fresh diced tomatoes with their juice
- 1⁄2 cup dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon minced oregano leaves
- 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper fl akes
- 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound fresh or 12 ounces dried pasta, cooked and drained
- Sprinkle the eggplant slices with the salt, then stand them up in a colander to drain in the sink or spread them out on paper towels on the counter. After 15 minutes, blot the slices dry, then cut into strips about 1⁄2 inch wide.
- Heat a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of the oil, then slip as many eggplant strips as will fi t comfortably in the pan. Fry until soft and tender, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the strips to a large plate lined with paper towels, add the remaining oil to the skillet, and cook the remaining eggplant strips as you did the fi rst batch. Transfer these to a second plate lined with paper towels. Blot all the slices dry.
- Return the strips to the skillet, set it over medium heat, and add the tomatoes, wine, oregano, red pepper fl akes, and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then cover the pan with the lid askew, and reduce the heat to very low, just so the sauce bubbles slowly. Cook until somewhat thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the pasta and toss to coat.
- Pasta Recommendations
- Fresh: not advisable because the soft texture of the sauce needs the fi rmer texture of dried pasta
- Dried: any noodle or shaped pasta, particularly tubes like ziti, penne, or rigatoni