7-15-18 Spaghetti w Japanese eggplants and mint

My goal tonight was to create a “rustic” dish, even though I can’t begin to describe to  you what that means. It is something simple, with a minimum of ingredients and best served on an old wooden kitchen table with dishes and utensils that don’t match…totally unpretentious.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Spaghetti

2.     Two Japanese eggplants cut crosswise

3.     Olive oil

4.     Garlic

5.     Leeks

6.     Fresh mint leaves finely chopped

7.     Mozzarella cut into small cubes

8.     Fresh tomato 1-2 slices cut into small pieces

PROCESS:

Saute the Leek and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the eggplant and cook of med-high heat, adding half of the mint after 4-5 minutes. Stir often and continue cooking until the eggplants begin to brown. Cover and remove from the burner until the pasta is ready. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the eggplants, along with a drizzle of olive oil and some of the pasta water. Garnish with the rest of the mint plus the cheese and the tomatoes.

COMMENTS:

Patience and I were both pleased with this dish. I think the next time I do this I will add some croutons (made with P’s bread) to the garnish.

7-3-18 Angel hair pasta with fresh herbs & olive oil

After a week away from home it felt good to be back in my own kitchen, and even better to be preparing a pasta dinner. Tonight I wanted to take advantage of all the fresh herbs in Patient’s garden creating a variation of the traditional Aglio Olio.

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Angel hair pasta

2.     Extra virgin olive oil

3.     Fresh thyme, oregano, and basil finely chopped

4.     Garlic – one clove minced

5.     Shallot – sliced

6.     Tomato – medium size coarsely chopped

7.     Mozzarella cut into small cubes

8.     Salt and black pepper

PROCESS:

Add the herbs, garlic and a dash of salt to the olive oil (about 1/3 cup) and allow to sit for several hours or more.

While the pasta is cooking sauté the shallots in olive oil and place in the pasta bowl. Add the pasta with some of the pasta water to the bowl, along with the herb infuse olive oil and mix well.  Add the tomatoes and mozzarella and drizzle with a bit more olive oil and serve.

COMMENTS:

The herbs used in place of the traditional parsley give a subtle, but distinctly different flavor to this dish that is best described as gentler and/or softer. P and I both gave this a 10+. The next time I will prepare the olive oil 1 or 2 days in advance, and reserve some of the herbs for a garnish.