Pasta Alla Norma Tomato And Eggplant Pasta Food

PASTA ALLA NORMA (EGGPLANT PASTA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 240°C / 450°F (220°C fan). Line a tray with baking / parchment paper.
• Toss eggplant with oil, salt and pepper. Spread on the tray and roast for 20 minutes.
• Flip, then roast for a further 5 minutes. Cool on tray (this helps the eggplant hold its shape when tossing).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Start cooking the pasta a couple of minutes after you start making the sauce (next section), until al dente or to your liking.
• Heat oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, cook for 20 seconds until golden, then add onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent and cooked through.
• Increase heat to medium-high and add wine, if using. Let it simmer, scraping the base of the pan to deglaze, until the wine mostly evaporates.
• Add tomato passata. Now pour the water into the passata bottle, screw on the lid, shake, and pour that in too (waste nothing!)
• Add dried herbs, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir and simmer 5 minutes.
• Stir in eggplant, then add cooked and drained pasta. GENTLY toss until pasta is coated in the sauce (so the eggplant doesn't turn into complete mush!).
• Serve immediately, garnished with a good pinch of fresh basil and parmesan.

PASTA ALLA NORMA (TOMATO AND EGGPLANT PASTA)

Steps:

• Heat up the olive oil, then stir in the eggplant, making sure it all gets coated in oil. Let cook, stirring occasionally, for about ten to fifteen minutes.
• Add the garlic and chili flakes to the pan and cook, stirring, for a couple more minutes.
• Add the tomatoes to the pan, then crush them and break them up with a wooden spoon. Pour in the balsamic vinegar, then add the sugar/honey. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the eggplant is nice and soft.
• At the end of the cooking time, season well and stir in most of the basil.
• Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to the packet instructions (until al dente is best). Then drain, reserving some of the water.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and toss until well coated. Add enough of the reserved cooking water to make the dish nice and smooth and 'silky'.
• Rip the mozzarella into the pan and stir again briefly.
• Serve out into bowls immediately. Top with grated parmesan and the remaining fresh basil.

EGGPLANT, TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season aggressively with salt. Add the rigatoni and cook 3 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Toss the eggplant and tomatoes with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread on the baking sheet and roast until the eggplant is golden brown and tomatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)
• Toss the rigatoni with the eggplant, tomatoes, about 1/4 cup pasta water and the marinara sauce in a large bowl. If it looks dry, add the remaining pasta water. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella.
• Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish and top with the remaining cup mozzarella and the Parmesan and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. (Turn the broiler on at the end if you want the cheese to brown more.) Garnish with additional Parmesan and the chopped basil and serve.

PASTA ALLA NORMA (FRESH PASTA WITH EGGPLANT(AUBERGINE))

Steps:

• Peel the egglants. Cut them lengthwise in slices 1/2 inch thick. If slices ar very long cut them in half. Liberally salt each slice and stack them in a shallow dish. Place another dish on top and lightly weight it for instance using a full can of tomatoes. Keep the eggplant in the press for at least two hours. This process will drain out the acidic liquid which causes the eggplant to taste bitter and act like a sponge when frying.
• After the time has elapsed, rinse or wipe off the slices and pat dry. Heat 2 inches of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until hot. Dust each slice with flor before frying. Cook to a rich golden brown, and drain between brown paper until everything else is ready for assembly.
• While frying eggplant begin the tomato sauce. Pass the can of tomatoes through a food mill to remove any seeds. Place the 1/4 cup of olive oil in a sauce pan and saute the whole garlic until brown, remove the garlic. Add the tomatoes, paste, sugar, basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir well and cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile continue to cook eggplant and keep hot uncovered in a 300' oven. At this time cook your pasta, when it's done toss in a warm serving bowl with some of the sauce and half of the cheese. Arrange eggplant on top. Drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
• Enjoy!