8/12/2019 Rigatoni With Eggplant Puree

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Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree

Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree Ad ap te d fr om Giada DeLaurentis

I’ve made a few adjustments/suggestions to the original recipe. The eggplant is a total sponge and it seemed no matter howmuch pasta water I added, it was still lacking in saucin ess. I think a higher proportion of tomatoes to the eggplant (which I haveadjusted below) would have loosened up the sauce a bit, and perked up the flavor as well, as would a glug of vinegar or lemon

ju ic e at th e en d . Mi xi ng it wi th ri co tt a wa s so me th in g man y of th e co mm en te rs on th e Fo od Ne tw or k si te en jo ye d , an d I ca n’ timagine that would steer it in a bad direction.

1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes1 pint cherry tomatoes3 cloves garlic, whole3 tablespoons ol ive oi l1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 teaspoon red pepper flakes1/4 cup toasted pine nuts1 pound rigatoni pasta1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil1/2 cup grated ParmesanGlug of balsamic or red wine vinegar or freshly-squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Spread thevegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the egg plant is golden,about 35 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, pl ace the pine nuts in a small baking dish. Place in the oven on the rack below the vegeta bles.Roast until golden, about 8 4 minutes (only do it for 8 if you want them nice and burnt, like mine). Remove from the oven andreserve.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite,stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve (at least) 2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the torn mint leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Puree the vegetables.

Transfer the pureed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta and add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cookingliquid 1/2 cup at a time until the pasta is saucy, as well as a glug of vinegar (option al). Sprinkle the pine nuts over the t op andserve.