Cooking & Baking

* Tagliatelle con Zucchine e Melanzane
(Tagliatelle with Zucchini and Eggplant with Spicy Herb Sauce)


Serves 6 as a first course or 4 as a main course

Olive oil
2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt
3 medium zucchini, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium onion, chopped
⅓ cup freshly chopped mint leaves
⅓ cup freshly chopped basil
¼ cup freshly chopped Italian parsley
1¾ pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded, or one 28-
ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, well drained, with extra
liquid gently squeezed out, and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)
1 pound *tagliatelle (*Ed Note: Fettuccini is the right size)
Freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Heat 3 inches of olive oil in a large, deep-sided frying pan
until the oil is hot but not smoking. Fry the eggplant cubes,
in batches, until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels
and sprinkle sparingly with salt. Set aside.

In the same oil, add more olive oil as needed for a 2-inch
depth in pan, then fry the zucchini, in batches, until golden.
Drain and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

Heat 1 cup of olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the
garlic and onion over medium-high heat until golden. Stir
in the mint, basil, and parsley, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the fried eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes. Gently stir
and season to taste with salt, black pepper, and cayenne
pepper, if you like. Simmer over low heat.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Stir in 1½
tablespoons of salt and add the pasta. Cook until al dente,
or just tender, stirring often.

Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water from the pot. Drain the
pasta and transfer it to a serving bowl. Turn the sauce over
the pasta and gently toss. Add a little pasta water, if a
thinner sauce is desired. Season to taste with salt and
pepper. Pass the pecorino or Parmesan cheese.

from my favorite Sicilian chef "La Cucina Siciliana di Gangivecchio"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/686638.Sicilian_Kitchen