Sicilianeggplantaubergine Recipes

SICILIAN STYLE SPAGHETTI AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch rounds. Toss them with 1/4 cup olive oil and some salt and pepper. Grill them until marks have formed and they are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place them onto a paper towel lined platter. Scatter over 2 cloves of sliced garlic, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the lemon juice, put on a few torn basil leaves, and season it all with salt and pepper. Set aside while you make the sauce.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Cook the onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chile, garlic, olives and a few hand-torn basil leaves. Carefully add the tomatoes and a pinch of sugar; cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. Add the capers, taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.
• Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the spaghetti. Stir to make sure the pasta doesn't stick. Cover and return to a boil. Remove cover and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until the spaghetti is al dente. Drain and add the spaghetti to the tomato sauce. Add the cheese and mix well. Pile onto a platter and top it with the eggplant slices. Garnish with more basil leaves.

SICILIAN PASTA WITH EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Peel garlic. Trim stem ends of eggplants. Halve eggplants lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. In a large sieve drain tomatoes. Transfer tomatoes to a bowl and squeeze to break into smaller pieces.
• In a 6-quart kettle bring 5 quarts salted water to a boil for pasta.
• In a 12-inch heavy skillet heat 1 cup oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Fry eggplant in 2 batches, turning, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer eggplant as fried with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, arranging it in one layer. Season eggplant with salt and pepper.
• Pour off oil from skillet and wipe clean with paper towels. Add remaining 1/4 cup oil to skillet and cook garlic over low heat, stirring, until golden. Stir in tomatoes with any juices that have accumulated in bowl and simmer, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
• While sauce is simmering, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water and drain pasta in a colander. Transfer half of tomato sauce with half of ricotta salata to a large bowl and toss with pasta and half of eggplant, adding some reserved pasta cooking water if sauce becomes too thick. Transfer pasta to a serving bowl and top with remaining sauce and eggplant and some of remaining cheese.
• Garnish pasta with basil and serve remaining cheese on the side.

SICILIAN AUBERGINE, PINE NUT & RAISIN FUSILLI

Steps:

• In a heavy based pan, heat ½ tbsp of oil and gently cook the onion, garlic and chilli until soft with half the oregano.
• Meanwhile, heat 3-4 tbsp of oil in another frying pan and start browning the aubergines. Once cooked, add to the onion mixture. Fry the raisins in another ½ tbsp oil and, when they have puffed up, add to the aubergine mix. Add the tomatoes, purée and rest of the oregano. Cook on a medium heat for 15-20 mins so all the flavours come together.
• Finally add the capers and the vinegar and leave on a low heat while you cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water. If the mixture becomes very thick add 100ml of water. Toss the pasta through the aubergine sauce and sprinkle with fresh mint and the pine nuts. Let everyone grate over their own cheese.