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Monday, December 2, 2013

Second Day of Christmas: Eggplant Parmesan Pasta

On the second day of Christmas I decided to make some comfort food. I figured that it wouldn't hurt to have a warm, nourishing, wholesome, familiar meal for the holidays. Plus this is yummy enough that you can even use it for entertaining, but it doesn't take all day, since we are all short on time for the holiday rush. Don't get me wrong I love the traditional eggplant parmesan and if you want to go traditional this recipe is one of my favorite: http://springwind.org/sites/default/files/Eggplant%20Parmesan.pdf (thank you AP)




However, this recipe is more of a deconstructed Eggplant Parmesan. It came from this months edition of Food and Wine magazine and it was wonderful! I love the spice from the red pepper flakes, the heartiness of the eggplant and pasta and well I love cheese...all cheese and this recipe did not disappoint with the combination of fresh mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Plus this makes for amazing leftovers!!

I also love those recipes that make the house smell amazing as they cook and also send you right back to your childhood home. This recipe did that for me, as the olive oil heated up and I added the onions, eggplant and garlic. I went  right back to my Mom's house when I was a kid, when she would make homemade marinara sauce or eggplant parmesan. Yum!!

I am sure we all have childhood holiday food memories. Since I came from a food family I am often overwhelmed by memories this time of year. However, I have several childhood holiday food memories that are near and dear to my heart:

  • Fresh crab with melted butter as we decorated the tree. Dear God this is the crab and butter combination of which dreams are made of. I seriously would do anything today for the type of crab I had as a kid. And yes I mean anything...
  • Shrimp Christmas Trees-on Christmas Eve every year we would have a seafood feast following in the footsteps of the Italian tradition and every year my aunt would make a Christmas tree that was made out of shrimp. I think she used a Styrofoam form and toothpicks to attach the shrimp in the shape of a Christmas tree, but to this day it is magic to me. I just remember how much I loved walking up to the table, that I could barely see over, and pulling shrimp off the tree. 
  • Seafood Lasagna-again on Christmas Eve it was a lasagna with well seafood and it had a white roux sauce, if I remember correctly, and I haven't the slightest idea of how to make it, but I remember it being amazing. 

As for the Eggplant Parmesan Pasta, start with olive oil. All good things start with olive oil, right? Saute onions, in the oil until softened. The recipe recommends sweet onions, which I used, however they made me cry like a little girl. Think my eyes are still red as I type this due to the onion.


Next add in the chopped eggplant and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Add in the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Finally add the marinara sauce and cook until heated through.


Meanwhile, in another part of the kitchen, in my house also known as the back burner, cook the pasta according to package directions.


Add 1/2 cup of the pasta water, fresh basil and pasta to the sauce and put in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the pasta with fresh mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs. 

Here is the actual recipe:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt
One 1 1/4 pound eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups marinara sauce
1 pound penne rigate
1/2 cup lightly packed basil leaves, torn
Freshly ground pepper
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
In a large saucepan, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and 1/4 cup of water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is tender but not falling apart, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the marinara sauce and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until hot, 3 to 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the broiler and position the rack 8 inches from the heat. In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta, cooking water and the basil to the sauce; season with salt and pepper.
Scrape the pasta into a large oval or a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Scatter the mozzarella over the pasta followed by the Parmigiano and the panko. Broil the pasta for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the panko is lightly browned. Serve hot.



I have to say a few months ago I made an eggplant bolognese sauce and it was good, but it wasn't anything to write home about. However, this pasta is really good and it very much tastes like eggplant parmesan, which is a slightly odd phenomenon.


 However, I had it with a glass of Zinfandel and it was absolutely perfect. Ok sure I started drinking while I cooked, but it was a win/win. 

Happy Holidays and don't worry we will get through the holiday season together. Cheers!



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