Mediterranean Style Eggplant Pasta Food

MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE EGGPLANT PASTA

Steps:

• Arrange eggplant slices in a colander and sprinkle with enough salt to lightly coat; drain for about 10 minutes. Rinse eggplant and pat dry with paper towels. Chop eggplant into cubes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pappardelle at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 10 to 11 minutes; drain.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir eggplant, adding more oil if eggplant gets dry, until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer eggplant to a bowl, reserving oil in the skillet.
• Heat remaining oil in the same skillet; cook and stir onion and garlic until golden, about 10 minutes. Return eggplant to skillet and season with oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute more.
• Mix tomatoes, vinegar, salt, sugar, and black pepper into eggplant mixture; cover skillet and simmer sauce until eggplant is softened, about 10 minutes. Mix sauce with pasta in a bowl; top with mozzarella cheese and basil.

PASTA ALLA NORMA RECIPE

Steps:

• Slice and Salt the Eggplant. Trim the eggplant and partially peel them in a striped pattern (zebra pattern). Slice them into ½ inch thick rounds. Season the eggplant slices with kosher salt on both sides and lay them flat for a few minutes (up to 30 minutes if you have the time). Wipe the eggplant dry and remove excess salt using a paper towel.
• Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Roast the eggplant. Brush the bottom of a large sheet pan (or two) with extra virgin olive oil. Arrange the eggplant slices in the pans in one single layer (eggplant slices should not overlap, each should be comfortably touching the bottom of the sheet pan). Roast in the heated oven until deeply golden brown, anywhere from 35 to 40 minutes, turning over mid-way through.
• Make the Sauce. Meanwhile, get going on the sauce. In a large deep pan, heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, lower the heat and cook, tossing regularly, until the garlic gains a little bit of color. Add the tomatoes (with their juices), oregano and a good pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a quick boil, then lower the heat and let simmer briefly.
• When ready, add the roasted eggplant to sauce. Let simmer while you cook the pasta.
• Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package instructions (mine took about 11 minutes). Drain and combine the pasta with the eggplant and sauce (if needed, add a little bit of the pasta water and toss until the pasta is well-coated). Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Add chopped parsley and grated ricotta salata cheese to finish.

GREEN PASTA, MEDITERRANEAN STYLE

Steps:

• To prepare the pasta, put all ingredients in a bowl, and knead together. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest for approximately one hour. Roll out the pasta to the thinnest setting on a pasta machine and lay out to dry for about 5 minutes. Cut the pasta into strips, or feed through a pasta cutter. Set pasta aside until ready to be cooked.
• To begin the sauce, heat the olive oil and add the basil, so the flavors infuse into the oil. Add the cherry tomatoes and salt, and cook for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook the pasta for 6 to 7 minutes.
• In a separate pan, heat some oil, and fry the eggplant. The eggplant must be golden brown when done. Lightly salt when eggplant is still hot.
• To serve: Heat the sauce and add the drained pasta. In the center of each dish, place a tomato star filled with the golden eggplant. Surround the plate with the pasta, and place a basil leaf on top for decoration.

MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE PENNE

Steps:

• Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels using slotted spoon. Add onion and eggplant to drippings in skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat until eggplant is tender and golden, about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, vinegar and thyme. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes. Stir in capers. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Transfer to large bowl. Toss with olive oil. Mix in eggplant sauce, feta, olives and bacon. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Brush eggplant slices evenly with olive oil.
• Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and tender.
• Remove from oven, and finely dice the eggplant slices.
• In a medium bowl, combine the chopped eggplant pieces with the garlic, egg whites, parmesan, feta, breadcrumbs, basil and parsley and green onions.
• Add the salt and pepper in quantities at your discretion.
• Mix everything well and place in the refrigerator 20min to firm up.
• (Note: add this stage you may adjust the mixture by adding more breadcrumbs if it does not hold well together).
• Divide the mixture into 6-8 equal portions, and shape into a flattened ball.
• Coat with flour.
• Fry the fritters in shallow oil for 2 mins on either side, till they are golden brown.
• Serve with a salad, lemon wedges and a yoghurt sauce to dip into, if preferred.