WW: eggplant + penne

I’m submitting this recipe to Weekend Wokking, a world-wide food blogging event created by Wandering Chopsticks celebrating the multiple ways we can cook one ingredient. The host this month is Marija of Palachinka. If you would like to participate or to see the secret ingredient, check who’s hosting next month.

Seems ironic that though I have a productive eggplant plant (which I thought was going to produce the long Asian kinds), I have to buy some for this Weekend Wokking event.  This is a compilation of two of my favorite recipes:  Pim’s aubergine in tomato sauce with Molly’s buttery tomato sauce.  Eggplant that’s cooked in olive oil has this creamy richness that I love.

1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes (undrained)
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
3 medium Asian eggplants, sliced diagonally
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon onion salt
1 pound penne pasta
Optional toppings:  ground pepper, shredded Parmesan cheese, basil
Optional proteins:  small scallops, shrimp, browned chicken pieces.

Begin by melting the butter in a medium sauce pan and sautéing onions.  Add tomatoes and their juices, mashing them (carefully avoiding getting splattered) with a potato masher.  Heat on medium or lower to achieve a gentle simmer.  Taste now and again and add salt as needed.

While the sauce simmers (the original recipe has it simmering for 45 minutes for the best flavor, but you can simmer for less if you’re short on time), prepare your pasta (boiling in salted water) until it’s the texture you like (“al dente” is too undone for me).

Wash and cut your eggplant on a slight diagonal into slices about 3/4 inch thick.  Heat a large fry pan (I use two) with half the oil.  Sprinkle a bit of the onion salt and place the eggplant slices on the oil.  Fry on medium high until the slices look toasty when you check.  Then flip them to the other side and add the remaining oil.  Cook until both sides are nicely browned but not too burned.

Serve each bowl starting with hot pasta, eggplant slices, tomato sauce and any of the optional ingredients (I’ve added scallop and shrimp for some seafood flavor, plus a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan).  Serves four nicely.