75 minutes
A delightful dish of Fusilli pasta with a rich tomato sauce, fried eggplant, and grated ricotta salata cheese.
Japanese Eggplant, trimmed, cut into bite-sized pieces, salted
0 lb
Olive Oil, for frying
cups
Simple Tomato Sauce, pre-prepared
cups
Basil, chiffonade
cups
Fusilli, cooked according to package instructions
0 lb
Ricotta Salata Cheese, grated
to taste
1. Prepare the Eggplant
Trim and cut one pound of Japanese eggplant into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle with salt and let it drain in a colander for about 15 minutes.
2. Fry the Eggplant
In a heavy pan, heat ½ cup of olive oil over medium heat. Fry the eggplant pieces until golden brown, then remove and let them drain on paper towels.
3. Prepare the Tomato Sauce
In a large saucepan, warm 2 cups of Simple Tomato Sauce and stir in ¼ cup of basil chiffonade over low heat.
4. Cook the Fusilli
Cook ¾ pound of fusilli in salted boiling water as per package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
5. Combine and Serve
Toss the fusilli with the tomato sauce and fried eggplant. Add reserved pasta water if needed to thin the sauce. Serve with grated ricotta salata cheese on top.
Use high-quality canned tomatoes and consider sautéing diced onion and garlic in olive oil before adding the tomatoes for a more robust sauce.
Combine pasta and sauce on medium heat, toss energetically, and add pasta water if needed to help emulsify the sauce and coat the pasta evenly.
Gently salting and draining eggplant can remove bitterness and excess moisture, preventing sogginess. Sprinkle salt on the slices, let them sit for 20-30 minutes, rinse, and pat dry.
Cook fusilli until just shy of al dente and save a cup of pasta water to adjust the sauce's consistency if needed.
Look for small to medium-sized eggplants as they tend to be less bitter and have a firmer, more tender texture. Always check for a glossy skin and give them a gentle squeeze to ensure they aren't overripe.
Comments (0)