Penne alla Siciliana is a version very similar to pasta alla norma [1], recipe I described it a few days ago. However, the peculiarity of this dishof penne is that we can make it with common ingredients that we can buy easily out of Sicily. If you find salted ricotta, I recommend you to prepare a nice pasta alla norma. Otherwise, you can still enjoy this penne with tomato, eggplant and mozzarella. The latter is added at the very end of therecipe. It will melt and make this pasta a delight. I discovered this pasta alla Siciliana in a restaurant in Geneva that got famouse because of it. Plus, when you order it, you can eat as much as you want.
Penne alla Siciliana Recipe (enne with tomato, eggplant and mozzarella)
Autor: Damián Serrano Personas: 4 Tiempo: Dificultad: Fácil
Ingredientes
- 400 g of short pasta like penne, rigatoni or macaroni
- 1 kg of tomatoes or a large can (800 g)
- 1 large eggplant
- 2 mozzarella balls
- Fresh basil leaves
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- Grated Parmesan for sprinkling
Elaboración
- Wash the eggplant. Remove the stem and slice half a cm thick or dice into cubes of 1 cm square.
- Salt the eggplant and let stand for half an hour in a colander. This step reduces the bitterness of the eggplant.
- During this time, prepare a tomato and basil sauce [2]:
- Wash the tomatoes, remove the stalk and dice them.
- In a skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the diced tomatoes, sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar and add some large basil leaves. Let it simmer for half hour.
- Remove the basil leaves and sieve using a food mill.
- Pour the sauce into the previous pan, season with salt and pepper and add some chopped basil leaves.
- Reduce for a few minutes and set aside.
- Heat a large amount of olive oil over medium heat a skillet.
- Dry the eggplant. Deep fry in hot oil and reserve on paper towels.
- Cut the mozzarella into cubes of 1 cm square.
- In a large pot, heat 3 to 4 liters of water.
- Bring to a boil. Once it boils, add a tablespoon of salt. When it boils again, add the pasta and stir a little to prevent them from sticking together.
- Cook the pasta al dente, following packet directions.
- Drain the pasta and reserve some of the cooking water.
- If necessary, reheat the tomato sauce. When hot, toss with pasta, eggplant and a drizzle of cooking water.
- Finally, add the diced mozzarella and stir gently until it begins to melt.
- It is done. Serve immediately. At the table, sprinkle your penne alla Siciliana with grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Sugerencias, trucos y consejos
- Instead of cutting the mozzarella into cubes, you can slice it and place it over the pasta with eggplant and tomato sauce, then grill it until surface is golden brown.
- You can roast the eggplant instead of frying for a lighter version of the dish.