Serves 4
Super traditional Sicilian pasta dish. Normally it is only made with eggplant, but as we get into the summer harvest, I like to supplement the dish with in-season zucchini and tomatoes. Use any pasta shape you have on hand – I like a bigger rigatoni
or pappardelle.
THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED
- 1.5 lb eggplant – “zebra” striped with peeler,cut into 1-inch or so cubes
- 1 lb zucchini (I like the pattypan varietal, but any varietal works – cut similarly to eggplant)
- 1 shallot – small dice
- 4 cloves garlic – fresh, minced
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes, washed and kept whole
- 2–3 anchovy filets or a couple dashes of colatura
- Fish sauce (optional)
- Chili flakes (optional)
- Sicilian oregano
- Salt
- Pepper
- Ricotta salata for garnish
- EVOO
- 1 lb pasta (reserve a cup of pasta water
after straining)
THIS IS WHAT YOU DO
Preheat oven to 350°. While thatʼs getting up to temp, peel and cube eggplant; keep zucchini with skin and dice. Toss in EVOO, salt, and pepper, and place on a sheet tray. Cook until GBD (golden brown delicious) – about 25 minutes, depending on your oven. Set aside and cool.
In a large sauté pan, add 3 tbsp EVOO and cook shallot, anchovy, chili flakes, and garlic until golden but not burnt. Add cherry tomatoes and cook until they start to slowly burst and release their juices. While cooking, start your pot of water for pasta.
Reduce tomato sauce by a quarter or so until it starts to thicken. If it’s too thick, just add a touch of water. Once reduced enough, add eggplant/zucchini and gently combine – you don’t want to be too rough as it’ll break the veg up too much. Add pasta, toss, plate, and shave fresh ricotta salata and picked basil on top.
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