The literal translation of this recipe would be "eggplants mini-mushroom style". I know, that is odd. It's a Neapolitan recipe which normally is served as a side dish. I did something no one would ever do in Naples and made it with pasta (and even added mozzarella... Anathema!) I like it, and I'm sure you will too.
Ingredients for 2 people:
One eggplant. Try to find Italian or Japanese eggplants. They have thinner, more delicate skin.
A cup of cherry tomatoes. Alternatively you can use canned cherry tomatoes (Mutti makes good ones) or even some canned peeled tomatoes, drained of their juice.
A garlic clove peeled and lightly pressed to release its flavor.
A cup of canola oil for frying the eggplant.
Two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Fresh basil leaves.
8 Oz of pasta (I put spaghetti in the first picture, but then I changed my mind and made penne rigate. I think short goes better after all)
Salt and pepper to taste.
Confession: I am not a fan of eggplant. I like the idea of cooking them, eating them, making something out of them. But almost every time I do, I don't like them. They tend to be either tasteless or too herbaceous. They can be bitter and you have to work fast with them so they don't turn black even before you start cooking them. I think they can absolutely ruin a perfectly good pizza. However, I really like them made like this. I always loved the "melenzane a funghetti" I could order in any trattoria or pizzeria in Napoli. Also my dad makes them really well and every time I go visit, I ask him to make them for me. The first time I ate them they were made by my grandma Titina. Come to think of it, I also do like them when they are made into a delicious paste, like they do in Israel or in Iran... So, maybe I do like eggplant, after all. Anyway, now enjoy a picture of my favorite knife (yes, there's a big eggplant next to it)... It's Japanese and I love it.
Let's make the sauce:
Chop the eggplant in small chunks (a tocchetti, as we say in Italian). My dad suggests not chopping it too small, so they don't melt completely. Fry them in a large pan, until golden. About 5 minutes and dry them on a paper towel.
After you fry the tocchetti, start cooking the cherry tomatoes. In a pot add the tomatoes cut in half, the garlic and the olive oil. On medium heat cook for 7 to 10 minutes, then add the (now drained) fried eggplant and cook for another 5 minutes, approximately. Add a few basil leaves, if you have them. (As you should.)
At this point, start the pasta water and make yourself an Aperol Spritz! Here's my recipe.
Aperol Spritz. This summery cocktail became all the rage all over the world a few years ago. The reason is that it's easy to make, pleasant to drink and it looks really good. It is said that it was invented in Venice, and that might be true. What is also true is that "real" Venetians drink the spritz made with a different aperitif, called Select. Select tastes somewhere in between Aperol and Campari (not as sweet as Aperol and not as bitter as Campari) and it's impossible to find outside of Venice.
Here's how you make it: in a stemmed wine glass pour about one ounce and a half of Aperol, a few ice cubes and fill up to three quarters of the glass with Prosecco. Top with a dash of fizzy water. Garnish with an orange wedge. DO NOT USE A STRAW TO DRINK THIS COCKTAIL!! Actually, try to avoid straws altogether, if you care about sea turtles.
While you drink the spritz, boil the pasta. As always boil it for at least 2 full minutes less than the cooking time indicated in the packaging. Reserve a bit of pasta water. While the pasta cooks, chop the mozzarella (also a tocchetti, see below).
Drain the pasta and add it to a large frying pan with half of the melenzane a funghetti (use a lot of the oil from the sauce), add a bit of the reserved pasta water and sauté on medium heat for 1 minute. Add the mozzarella and cook for another 2 minutes, until the mozzarella melts.
Serve, adding more eggplant mixture to your pasta in the plate, with a little more basil and some grated Parmigiano Reggiano, if you like (I do like).
Enjoy and buon appetito. Stay safe and see you soon...
Wine: try a nice Sauvignon Blanc from Northern Italy. Or a fresh Petite Arvine from Vallée d'Aoste.
Now enjoy a picture of my cat, Rosina. She's a real cutie...
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