L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 34 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES A s the end of summer approaches in North America, we see an abun- dance of fresh fruits and vegeta- bles everywhere. Of course we have the usual suspects such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, beans, plums, peaches, and berries but let's not overlook the inconspicuous eggplant, or aubergine depending where you're from. It is also at its peak yet so many people are hesitant to try it! Coming from an Italian home, it's always odd to hear someone say they don't know what egg- plant is or have never tried it. We use it in so many dishes and pre- serves as it is quite a versatile vegetable. This sauce recipe, egg- plant parmigiana, is a classic dish from my Nonna Maria in Calabria, Italy. Now, you may be looking at the pictures wondering where the breaded and fried slices of eggplant smothered in sauce and melted cheese are. That is likely what comes to mind for most of us upon hearing 'parmi- giana' but in my mother's home town parmigiana sauce, or pasta alla parmigiana, is a delicious sauce that incorporates tomatoes, ground pork, onions, and….egg- plants. This sauce will smack you with unbelievable flavor! Eggplant was one of the veg- etables (technically a fruit!) we grew on our family farm. Back then it was one of my favorites because you could fill a bushel way faster than you could with tomatoes! Our summers were spent pulling weeds and picking the harvest for delivery to the food terminal and families in and around the Toronto, Canada area. Friends and other curious kids that came to our farm would always ask my mom about the eggplant and eventually nick- named her 'the Eggplant Lady.' So who better to ask to share this recipe with us than the eggplant lady herself - Nonna Pina! According to Nonna Pina this sauce is for short pasta only– preferably rigatoni or penne. You don't mess with an Italian nonna's paring of pasta and sauces unless you want to unleash world war 3! Personally, I am a fan of homemade fettuc- cine so go ahead and try it with your favorite pasta shape, just don't tell Nonna Pina! To make this dish, you will need your preferred pasta, a few eggplants, an onion, ground pork, and canned tomatoes. If you don't have canned tomatoes you can purchase cans of whole plum or San Marzano tomatoes and run them through a blender. This sauce only takes a couple of hours to make and freezes well if you have leftovers. Although tra- ditionally a sauce for pasta, it makes a great topping for bruschetta as well. The salting and squeezing of the eggplant removes water and bitterness, and keeps them from turning brown before cooking. It's an important step so don't skip it! And, a word to the wise, you may want to prepare extra eggplant because once they are fried you will find yourself pick- ing at them! The eggplant does not go in the sauce until the last 5 minutes of cooking so before you know it, you go to put them in the sauce and half of them are gone! Ingredients • extra virgin olive oil • 1 pound (454 gr) ground pork • 1/2 large Spanish onion, diced • 2 X 1 L canned tomatoes, pureéed • 8 large basil leaves (1/2 cup), finely chopped • 2 X 5.5oz cans of tomato paste • 5 small black eggplants (650 gr peeled and cut into strips) • salt and black pepper to sea- son • pasta, short rigatoni or penne Instructions 1. In a large, non-stick stock pot, heat 1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil on high. Add the pork and cook for a few minutes then reduce heat to medium-high. Allow the meat to brown. 2. Add the onion and let brown. Lower the heat to medi- um, cook for another few minutes then add the tomatoes. Cover and continue cooking over medium heat. 3. Once the sauce has been cooking for 30 minutes, add 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. 4. After cooking for one hour, add the tomato paste to the sauce and stir to mix well. Cover again and continue cooking. 5. Peel the eggplant and cut into 1/4 inch strips. Place the egg- plant strips into a bowl. Add 1/2 Tbsp (7.5 ml) salt to the eggplant, stir to mix well then let rest for 5- 10 minutes. 6. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can and place into another bowl. 7. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat 1/4 cup (60 ml) of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant and cook until well browned, about 20 minutes. 8. When the sauce has cooked for 1 3/4 hours, add the chopped basil. After 5 minutes add the cooked eggplant and continue to cook for another 10 minutes (total sauce cooking time is 2 hours). 9. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. 10. In a large shallow bowl, add a couple of scoops of sauce then add the pasta. Stir to com- bine. Plate the pasta and place a generous amount of sauce on top. Sprinkle with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese. To make this dish, you will need your preferred pasta, a few eggplants, an onion, ground pork, and canned tomatoes This sauce only takes a couple of hours to make and freezes well if you have leftovers ANNA ROMANO & ANGELA DESALVO Pasta alla Parmigiana

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