Autumn has just made a brief appearance here in Sicily! Yes, but not in the way you might think. It’s merely because, compared to the sunny days lately, we experienced a slight hint of rain, which I wouldn’t exactly call a storm due to its mild intensity and short duration! Once the rain stopped, the sun returned along with the warmth! So, I’m still quite hesitant to indulge in pumpkins and cabbages. Therefore, last weekend I decided to recreate a first course with still summery notes, which at home was truly appreciated for its Mediterranean aromas and scents! The choice of pasta is personal, though I recommend a short type, preferably ridged, to fully embrace the creaminess of the sauce. This is a vegetarian dish based on eggplants and roasted cherry tomatoes with lots of herbs, the former blended with sheep’s ricotta, the latter left whole to add in the final plating. The result? A poem, or rather, complex simplicity as a popular food blogger would say. Three steps for a dish with guaranteed scenic effect, gourmet style, and assured appreciation.
If you are pasta lovers and enjoy first courses with great scenic effect but minimal effort at the stove, here are a few more proposals that might interest you:
- CALAMARATA WITH SWORDFISH AND STRAWBERRIES IN ZUCCHINI CREAM
- WHOLE WHEAT PENNE IN RICOTTA CREAM, LEMON ZEST, AND CAPERS
- WHOLE WHEAT FUSILLI WITH FAVA BEAN PESTO, PEAS, CHERRY TOMATOES, AND FETA
- LINGUINE IN CONFIT CHERRY TOMATO SAUCE AND BASIL CRUMBLE
- STUFFED PACCHERI WITH RICOTTA, SPINACH, AND LEMON ZEST
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 50 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer, and Fall
Ingredients
- 10 oz tortiglioni
- 6.3 oz cherry tomatoes
- 2 eggplants (small or 1 large)
- 3 tbsps sheep's ricotta
- 3 cloves garlic
- A few sprigs thyme
- extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- to taste salted ricotta (grated)
- A few leaves basil
- to taste thyme
Tools
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while it will cost you nothing extra!
- 1 Paper towel
- 1 Knife
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Pot
- 1 Blender
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Slotted spoon
Steps
Start by washing the cherry tomatoes and eggplants under running water. Dry them with some kitchen paper towels, cut them in half, and arrange them neatly on a baking tray lined with parchment paper with the cut side up.
With the help of a sharp knife, make cross cuts on the surface of the eggplants.
Then salt and pepper both types of vegetables to taste.
Season with plenty of thyme leaves.
Drizzle with a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil, add the garlic cloves in their skins* and place in the oven at 375°F for about 20-25 minutes. Then, remove the cherry tomatoes with a spoon, as they are likely cooked by now. Put the eggplants back in the oven and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. The flesh of the eggplants should be soft, and a fork should easily penetrate them**.
After the cooking time, remove the skin from each garlic clove. You’ll see it comes off very easily.
Set aside the cooled cherry tomatoes to garnish the dish at the end.
With a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the eggplants.
Transfer it into a blender.
Add the well-drained ricotta, the garlic cloves without the skin, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Adjust the salt and pepper, and blend.
You should obtain a very creamy mixture.
Meanwhile, in a pot of salted water, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Once ready, drain it with a slotted spoon and mix it with the eggplant cream. If it’s too dry, thin it out with some cooking water.
Serve immediately, garnishing with some roasted cherry tomatoes, a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of grated salted ricotta, and basil or more thyme leaves as desired!
And there you have it…the tortiglioni in eggplant cream and roasted cherry tomatoes are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appetit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Advice, notes, and suggestions
🟣* For “garlic in its skin,” it refers to a method of using garlic whole and not peeled of its external skin, which gives dishes a more delicate and less pronounced flavor. You just need to place the blade of a santoku knife, which has a wide blade, on individual garlic cloves already separated from the head, and apply light pressure with the other hand. As soon as you hear a small crack, they are ready. At this point, you can add them as they are with their protective outer skin.
