Tofu-N-Sprouts
08-20-05, 02:38 AM
Caponata Pasta
This recipe is suitable for a: vegetarian or vegan diet
Category: Main Dishes - Pasta
Ingredients:
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2 large eggplants, peeled and diced
1 TB sea salt
3 large ripe tomatoes
2 TB pine nuts (I often use more)
3/4 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced (or two red)
3–5 cloves garlic, minced (I definitely use more)
1 yellow onion, diced (or two leeks, sliced thin)
2 TB brown sugar
4 TB balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup capers, drained and roughly chopped
11/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, roughly chopped (I sometimes use more)
16 oz fresh or dried linguine, cooked according to package directions
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions:
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Place the eggplant in a colander and mix with sea salt. Weight the eggplant down with a few plates and let eggplant drain in sink for about 30 minutes. (The salt drains away with the juice - don't worry about it being too salty)
If you want the tomatos peeled:
Boil water in a medium pot and add tomatoes for about 1 minute. Drain tomatoes, peel off their skin.
Coarsely chop tomatos and set aside.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until they turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
When eggplant is drained, press down and sop up extra juice with a paper towel - it'll be "drippy". Salting and draining takes away the bitter tatse that many people don't like about eggplant...
In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and sauté eggplant until golden (about 12–15 minutes). Remove from heat with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same skillet, sauté the peppers until soft (about 5 minutes) and set aside with the eggplant. Add the garlic and onion to the skillet and sauté, covered, until onion is golden (about 10–15 minutes). (Do NOT allow garlic to brown!! It'll be bitter!)
Add the tomatoes, cover, and cook for about 10 more minutes.
In a small pot over medium heat, mix together the sugar, vinegar, capers and cocoa powder. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the eggplant, peppers, olives and pine nuts to the large skillet and pour the sugar-vinegar sauce over the vegetables. Mix well and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and taste, adjusting seasonings if needed.
Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, and mix the caponata into the pasta and serve, sprinkled with fresh basil.
Additional comments:
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This is much easier than it looks! For some reason the directions just seem very long...
The intense flavors in this pasta are perfect for when I'm craving feta cheese or something strong and salty!! It's also really good served at room temperature.
Recipe source: This recipe is mine or I have altered it from its original version.
If you try this recipe please come back and leave a review!
This recipe is suitable for a: vegetarian or vegan diet
Category: Main Dishes - Pasta
Ingredients:
-----------------------------------------------------
2 large eggplants, peeled and diced
1 TB sea salt
3 large ripe tomatoes
2 TB pine nuts (I often use more)
3/4 cup olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced (or two red)
3–5 cloves garlic, minced (I definitely use more)
1 yellow onion, diced (or two leeks, sliced thin)
2 TB brown sugar
4 TB balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup capers, drained and roughly chopped
11/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, roughly chopped (I sometimes use more)
16 oz fresh or dried linguine, cooked according to package directions
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions:
---------------------------------------------------
Place the eggplant in a colander and mix with sea salt. Weight the eggplant down with a few plates and let eggplant drain in sink for about 30 minutes. (The salt drains away with the juice - don't worry about it being too salty)
If you want the tomatos peeled:
Boil water in a medium pot and add tomatoes for about 1 minute. Drain tomatoes, peel off their skin.
Coarsely chop tomatos and set aside.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until they turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
When eggplant is drained, press down and sop up extra juice with a paper towel - it'll be "drippy". Salting and draining takes away the bitter tatse that many people don't like about eggplant...
In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and sauté eggplant until golden (about 12–15 minutes). Remove from heat with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same skillet, sauté the peppers until soft (about 5 minutes) and set aside with the eggplant. Add the garlic and onion to the skillet and sauté, covered, until onion is golden (about 10–15 minutes). (Do NOT allow garlic to brown!! It'll be bitter!)
Add the tomatoes, cover, and cook for about 10 more minutes.
In a small pot over medium heat, mix together the sugar, vinegar, capers and cocoa powder. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the eggplant, peppers, olives and pine nuts to the large skillet and pour the sugar-vinegar sauce over the vegetables. Mix well and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and taste, adjusting seasonings if needed.
Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, and mix the caponata into the pasta and serve, sprinkled with fresh basil.
Additional comments:
-----------------------------------------------------
This is much easier than it looks! For some reason the directions just seem very long...
The intense flavors in this pasta are perfect for when I'm craving feta cheese or something strong and salty!! It's also really good served at room temperature.
Recipe source: This recipe is mine or I have altered it from its original version.
If you try this recipe please come back and leave a review!