Zucchini Pappardelle With Pesto And Eggplant Alla Norma Recipes

Steps:

• Put the eggplant in a colander and toss with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand, tossing occasionally, for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse and drain well, then pat dry with paper towels.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne according to the package directions.
• While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, capers and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes start to break down, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Add the drained pasta to the bowl with the eggplant mixture and stir in the vinegar; add salt to taste. Let stand until cooled to slightly warm or room temperature, then stir in the mozzarella and basil. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, salt, and pepper and process for a few seconds until the basil is chopped. Add the cheese, pine nuts, and garlic and, while the processor is running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream until a mostly smooth sauce is formed. Transfer pesto to a bowl and set aside. (Note: Pesto may be made 1 day in advance and kept, refrigerated, in an airtight container, until ready to use. If making in advance, be sure to cover the top of the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent the pesto from darkening. Pesto may also be frozen in the same manner in small quantities for use at a later date.)
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, according to package directions, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. In a large bowl, toss pasta with pesto. Add a little of the reserved cooking liquid if pasta seems to dry. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• To make the dressing, in a small bowl mix the vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt. Whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with the zest and pepper.
• Using a mandoline, slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick pappardelle turning the zucchini and slicing on 4 sides only until the seeds in the center are reached. Discard the centers.
• In a small bowl combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and paprika with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Spread the zucchini slices on a large baking sheet and brush them with the garlic mixture. Broil for 3 minutes until light brown.
• Coat the cherry tomatoes with the remaining garlic mixture in a bowl. Put them on another baking sheet and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until some skins pop and the tomatoes get slightly caramelized.
• Put the arugula in a serving bowl and top with the zucchini and tomatoes. Drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle the feta and olives on top and serve.

Steps:

• Cook the penne in a pot of boiling salted water. Stir to prevent the pasta from sticking together. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce.
• To make the sauce: In a saucepan, heat up 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Gently saute the chopped onions until tender, then add the plum tomatoes and liquid from the can. With the back of a wooden spoon, break up the tomatoes into little chunks. Season the sauce with salt, and pepper, to taste. Cook the tomato sauce for a few minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
• In another pan, heat olive oil and fry the eggplant cubes until golden.
• Drain the eggplant cubes on a paper towel to remove the excess oil. Drain the pasta approximately 2 minutes before the 'al dente' stage and add the pasta to the saucepan. Finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. Add the fried eggplant, basil leaves and sprinkle with ricotta salata. Mix the ingredients together well in the saucepan so that the pasta and the sauce are well amalgamated or combined. Be careful not to overcook the pasta. Transfer the pasta to a warm serving bowl or divide the pasta among warm plates and sprinkle extra ricotta salata on top and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Cook the pasta and sauce: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes less than what the box advises. Meanwhile, cut the eggplants into a large dice. Heat a skillet to high heat, add the olive oil, then the eggplant in one layer. Season with salt and pepper and add more oil if the pan becomes too dry. Continue cooking until eggplant is lightly brown. Add the garlic, chili pepper, dried oregano and stir to keep the garlic from browning. Add tomato passato, bring sauce back to a simmer and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Assemble the dish: When the sauce is finished cooking, turn off the heat and add the basil. Meanwhile, when the pasta is firm to the touch, reserve 1 cup pasta water (you will only need half). Drain the pasta and return it to the pot along with the sauce and ½ cup pasta water. Over low heat gently toss the pasta with the sauce for 2 minutes to allow it to "marry" and absorb some of the sauce. The dish is done when the pasta begins to stick to the bottom of the pot. Garnish with grated ricotta salata cheese and serve.