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Pasta with Mint and Eggplant
Served with Garden Tomato Salad
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Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 25 minutes |
- 1 bunch mint
- 1 bunch basil
- 1 lb. eggplant
- 1 fresh purple onion
- 2 lbs. garden tomatoes
- 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
- 1 lb. really good quality fusilli
Shopping List
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Garlic
- Sea salt or kosher salt
Pantry Items
- Chef’s knife
- Large stockpot or pasta pot
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Paring knife
- Strainer
- Tongs
- Wooden spoons
Tools
- Wine: Try the Sicilian wine called Frappato. Look for Cos ($26.99) or Occhipinti ($34.99) – you’ll love either one
- Dessert: Sliced nectarines and peaches tossed with a few mint leaves
Suggestions
- When you walk in the door
- Get out Pantry Items
- Get out Tools
- Fill the pasta pot 2/3 with water, add 2 tbsps. salt and put over high heat
- Assemble the ingredients
- Open the wine
- Prep
- Rinse and pat dry the herbs.
- Pluck 1 cup mint leaves and 1 cup basil leaves.
- Peel and mince 2 cloves garlic and put them into a large bowl.
- Core the tomatoes and cut them in thick slices. Arrange them on a shallow platter, with the slices slightly overlapping.
- Peel and slice the purple onion. Strew the slices over the tomatoes.
- Rinse the eggplant and trim off the stem end. Cut it into 1-inch cubes.
- Put the cheese in a serving bowl.
- Coarsely chop the pine nuts or the walnuts.
- Start Cooking
- Mince the mint leaves and add them to the garlic in the bowl. Pour 1/3 cup oil over them and stir.
- When the water boils, add the pasta and the eggplant, stir, and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, season the tomatoes and onion with salt and pepper.
- Coarsely chop the basil and strew it over the tomatoes and onion, then drizzle the tomatoes with 2-3 tbsps. oil.
- You have time to set the table now and open the wine.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain it, saving about ½ cup cooking water.
- Add the pasta and eggplant, the chopped nuts, raisins, and the reserved cooking water, to the mint and oil and toss, toss, toss. Taste for seasoning.
- When the pasta is perfectly seasoned, garnish it with mint sprigs and take the bowl to the table. Dinner is served.
