Pasta alla Norma Attempt #1
Ingredients
1 large (1 1⁄4 to 1 1⁄2 pound) eggplant, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 anchovy fillets, minced (The ones I bought were rolled around capers, so I minced the capers too.)
1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 pound ziti, rigatoni, or penne
6 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
3 ounces ricotta salata, French feta, pecorino romano, or cotija, shredded (I used pecorino romano since it was the only one of those cheese I could find in my store.)
Instructions
1. Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Line surface of large microwave-safe plate with double layer of paper towels and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Spread eggplant in even layer over towels; wipe out and reserve bowl. Microwave eggplant on high power, uncovered, until dry to the touch and slightly shriveled, about 10-20 minutes, tossing every 5 minutes to ensure that eggplant cooks evenly. Let cool slightly.
2. Transfer eggplant to now-empty bowl, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and toss gently to coat; discard paper towels and reserve plate. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high until shimmering, but not smoking. Add eggplant and distribute in even layer. Cook, stirring or tossing every 1 1⁄2 to 2 minutes (more frequent stirring may cause eggplant pieces to break apart), until well browned and fully tender, about 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer eggplant to now-empty plate and set aside.
3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic, anchovies, and pepper flakes to now-empty but still-hot skillet and cook using residual heat so garlic doesn’t burn, stirring constantly, until fragrant and garlic becomes pale golden, about 1 minute (if skillet is too cool to cook mixture, set it over medium heat). Add tomatoes, return skillet to burner over medium-high heat, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to boil. Add pasta and 2 tablespoons salt and cook until al dente. Reserve 1⁄2 cup cooking water; drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.
5. While pasta is cooking, return eggplant to skillet with tomatoes and gently stir to incorporate. Bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring gently occasionally, until eggplant is heated through and flavors are blended, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir basil and 1 tablespoon olive oil into sauce; season to taste with salt. Add sauce to cooked pasta, adjusting consistency with reserved pasta cooking water so that sauce coats pasta. Serve immediately, sprinkled with cheese.
Comments
This recipe is from the 2009 Cook’s Illustrated Annual and, being a lover of eggplant, it seemed like it would be tasty. As seen by my naming of this, it wasn’t. There was an extremely off-putting taste in the dish and I’m fairly certain it was due to the cheese, which I stirred into the dish. Sadly, I can’t judge the taste of the dish aside from this, because it was so overwhelmingly wrong. If I do make the recipe again in the future, which I hope I will during market season, I will serve the cheese on the side and see if that yields an improvement.
Cook’s Illustrated 2009