Pasta with Eggplant Capers and Olives
From mystic_river1 14 years agoIngredients
- Ingredients: shopping list
- 1 eggplant (1 and 1/4 lb), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice shopping list
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt shopping list
- 2 tablespoons salt-packed capers shopping list
- 1 red bell pepper shopping list
- 4 cups plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil shopping list
- 10 green olives, pitted shopping list
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves shopping list
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves shopping list
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves shopping list
- 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh marjoram shopping list
- 3 garlic cloves shopping list
- 1 anchovy fillet, rinsed and chopped shopping list
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine shopping list
- 1 lb penne rigate or fusilli shopping list
- Special equipment: a deep-fat thermometer shopping list
How to make it
- Directions:
- Toss eggplant with salt in a colander set in a large bowl, then let drain, tossing occasionally, 1 hour.
- While eggplant drains, rinse capers in a sieve and transfer to a small bowl.
- Cover capers with water by 2 inches and soak 30 minutes.
- Drain, then repeat soaking.
- Drain and rinse capers, then squeeze dry and coarsely chop.
- Roast bell pepper on rack of a gas burner over moderately high heat, turning with tongs, until skin is blackened, about 5 minutes. (Or broil pepper on a broiler pan about 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes.)
- Transfer to a bowl, then cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let pepper steam 10 minutes.
- When cool enough to handle, peel pepper and discard seeds, stem, and ribs.
- Pat pepper dry and puree in a blender until smooth.
- Rinse eggplant and pat dry thoroughly.
- Heat 4 cups olive oil in a 4-quart pot over high heat until it registers 375°F on thermometer.
- Fry one third of eggplant, stirring gently, until just golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
- Fry remaining eggplant in 2 batches, returning oil to 375°F between batches.
- Pulse together olives, basil, mint, parsley, marjoram, and 2 garlic cloves in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Finely chop remaining garlic clove and cook in olive oil along with anchovy in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until anchovy dissolves and garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Increase heat to moderate and stir in pepper puree, then cook, stirring, 1 minute.
- Stir in olive mixture, capers, and wine and cook, stirring, until wine is evaporated, about 1 minute.
- Stir in eggplant (sauce will be very thick) and remove from heat. Keep warm, covered.
- Cook pasta in a 6 to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until 'al dente', then drain and stir into sauce.
- Season with salt.
- That's it!
People Who Like This Dish 5
- dollhead Mechanicville, US
- spinach1948 Dorchester-Boston, MA
- choclytcandy Dallas, Dallas
- crazeecndn Edmonton, CA
- marpar Copenhagen, DK
- mystic_river1 Bradenton, Florida
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The Rating
Reviewed by 4 people-
Sounds delicious.
Hi 5.
EDspinach1948 in Dorchester-Boston loved it
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