Sicilian pasta is a tasty first course to enjoy anytime. A simple and flavorful sauce based on eggplants, tomatoes, capers, olives, pine nuts, chili pepper, oregano, and basil. This sauce is also excellent for seasoning bruschettas or pizzas. For the recipe, I chose tortiglioni, but you can use your preferred pasta shape.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 1 person
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 5.3 oz black oval eggplants
- 2.8 oz tortiglioni
- 1.8 oz cherry tomatoes
- 0.7 oz black olives
- 1 shallot (or 1/2 onion)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- to taste pickled capers
- to taste dried oregano
- to taste pine nuts
- to taste basil
- to taste dried chili pepper
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste fine salt
- to taste black pepper
Tools
- Kitchen Scale
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Skillet
- Pot
- Colander
- Wooden Spoon
- Lid
Preparation
To prepare Sicilian pasta…
First, heat the water to cook the tortiglioni. When it boils, throw in the pasta and cook for the time indicated on the package. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
Take the eggplant, wash it, remove the stem, and cut it into strips or cubes as you like. Peel the shallot or half an onion, chop it, and then sauté it in a skillet with extra virgin olive oil.
When the shallot is slightly golden, add the eggplants, salt, lower the heat, add a little water, and cover with a lid. Cook for about 5 minutes until the eggplants become tender.
Then add the washed and chopped cherry tomatoes, well-drained pickled capers, black olives, tomato paste, dried chili pepper, and oregano. Continue to cook the sauce for 5 minutes on low heat.
When the tortiglioni are cooked, drain them, keeping a little cooking water aside, and add them to the skillet with the sauce. Mix them in, letting them absorb the flavors, adding a little pasta cooking water if needed.
Salt and pepper to taste, serve the Sicilian pasta hot, garnishing with some pine nuts and basil leaves.
