Day 4 Spaghetti with eggplant and anchovies

 

I wanted to counter the sweetness of the eggplant with the hint of anchovies..

INGREDIENTS:

1.     Eggplant – pealed and diced

2.     Olive oil

3.     Shallots

4.     Garlic

5.     Anchovies – 3 finely chopped

6.     Del Monte diced tomatoes with oregano and basil

7.     Fresh Basil and Thyme

8.     Red pepper flakes-optional

9.     Mozzarella cheese diced

10. Spaghetti

11. Parmigiano cheese for grating

PROCESS:

Brown the eggplant in skillet with olive oil over medium high heat. Remove and place on a paper towel to drain.  Cook the shallots, garlic, and anchovies in the same skillet (with or without the red pepper flakes) until soft, then add the tomatoes and eggplant.  Simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes.

In the meanwhile cook the pasta until al dente, drain, and add to the skillet with the sauce.  Mix thoroughly with the sauce and mozzarella.

COMMENTS:

I thought the dish was a little too sweet because of the Del Monte tomatoes.  Patience disagreed.  The next time I will use either freshly grated Roma tomatoes of canned San Marzano tomatoes.

SPAGHETTI & MUSHROOMS...SIMPLICITY...9-6

After last night’s ravioli medley I wanted go “simple” tonight. Dinner began at Krogers this morning when I saw some plump white mushrooms beckoning me. I cooked them early in the afternoon and set them in the fridge. I had no plans beyond that, and when it came time to prepare tonight’s dinner…I made it up on the fly.



INGREDIENTS:

White mushrooms, sliced thinly
Fresh dill, basil, and oregano
Olive oil
Garlic
Fresh tomatoes…2 small tomatoes peeled
Anchovy paste
Splash of Sweet Vermouth
Fresh lemon juice
Bacon, chopped
Red pepper flakes

PROCESS:

Cook the mushrooms in olive oil with garlic, and set aside, preserving their juice.
Cook the bacon and set aside to drain. Discard the bacon fat and add the tomatoes anchovy paste, and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for several minutes, breaking it apart with a fork.

After several minutes add a splash of sweet vermouth and some lemon juice (I couldn’t help myself…just had to do that).



Add the cooked spaghetti to the mushrooms, sprinkle with the bacon and serve.

COMMENTS:

Patience gave this a 20! It was good and affirmed my belief in the joys of simple fare.

One or two teaspoons of tomato paste could be substituted for the fresh tomatoes.