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You are here: Home / My Authentic Italian Recipes / EGGPLANT PESTO CASERECCE with mint and zucchini chuncks

EGGPLANT PESTO CASERECCE with mint and zucchini chuncks

11/09/2014 by Filippo Trapella 1 Comment

eggplant pesto caserecceThe most famous Italian pesto is “Pesto Genovese” (basil, garlic, cheese, pine nuts and olive oil): Its goodness lies in its simplicity! But Pesto Genovese is not the only option. In Sicily, for instance, pesto is prepared with tomatoes, cottage cheese and almonds. Today I propose you a rich but healthy pesto version with eggplant and mint. Eggplants are baked in the oven with no added fat. The mint leaves are crushed with garlic and blended with the eggplant pulp. The Tuscan pecorino adds flavor and a pinch of Italian tradition. Finally, the zucchini cut into chunks are a tasty surprise in the sauce. You can prepare the eggplant pesto also a day or two in advance, in order to have a quick and super-tasty dish ready to serve. For the pasta, I suggest caserecce, a typical south Italian specialty whose shape is perfect to hold the sauce!

eggplant-pesto-caserecce

  • 14 oz (4oo gr) pasta caserecce
  • 10 baby eggplants
  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 5 tbsp grated Tuscan pecorino cheese
  • 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 20 fresh mint leaves
  • to taste black pepper
  • to taste cooking salt
  • to taste table salt

eggplant pesto caserecce

First Steps

Preheat the oven to 355° F. Bake the whole eggplant for 1 hour and 30 min. When the eggplants are tender, take them out from the oven and leave them to cool down. Cut the eggplant in halves, and with the help of a spoon, separate the pulp from the skin.

baked eggplant

Eggplant Pesto

Mash in a mortar the mint leaves, 2 cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the mixture is creamy and smooth, add the eggplant pulp and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a little at a time. Continue to mash until everything is well mixed. If your mortar is too small, divide the ingredients and repeat the operation as needed.

eggplant pesto

Zucchini in the Skillet

Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Sautee a clove of garlic, then add the zucchini cut into chunks. Proceed with the cooking over high heat until the zucchini will be well browned (but do not burn them!), then add salt, drain, and leave them to rest on a paper towel.

eggplant pesto

Finishing

Boil the caserecce in salted water. Drain and toss them in the skillet with the eggplant pesto for a couple of minutes, enough to heat and mix well. Finally, add the zucchini chunks and complete with a sprinkling of pecorino cheese and black pepper.

fried zucchini

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS

 TOMATOES PARMIGIANA WITH SMOKED MOZZARELLA, EGGPLANT AND SUN-DRIED TOMATOES

TOMATOES PARMIGIANA with eggplants and smoked mozzarella

PRINTABLE VERSION

 

EGGPLANT PESTO CASERECCE with mint and zucchini chuncks
 
Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
1 hour 30 mins
Total time
1 hour 50 mins
 
The most famous Italian pesto is "Pesto Genovese" (basil, garlic, cheese, pine nuts and olive oil): Its goodness lies in its simplicity! But Pesto Genovese is not the only option. In Sicily, for instance, pesto is prepared with tomatoes, cottage cheese and almonds. Today I propose you a rich but healthy pesto version with eggplant and mint. Eggplants are baked in the oven with no added fat. The mint leaves are crushed with garlic and blended with the eggplant pulp. The Tuscan pecorino adds flavor and a pinch of Italian tradition. Finally, the zucchini cut into chunks are a tasty surprise in the sauce. You can prepare the eggplant pesto also a day or two in advance, in order to have a quick and super-tasty dish ready to serve. For the pasta, I suggest caserecce, a typical south Italian specialty whose shape is perfect to hold the sauce!
pasta caserecce with eggplant pesto
Author: Filippo Trapella
Recipe type: pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 14 oz (4oo gr) pasta caserecce
  • 10 baby eggplants
  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 5 tbsp grated Tuscan pecorino cheese
  • 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 20 fresh mint leaves
  • to taste black pepper
  • to taste cooking salt
  • to taste table salt
Instructions
  1. First Steps
    Preheat the oven to 355° F. Bake the whole eggplant for 1 hour and 30 min. When the eggplants are tender, take them out from the oven and leave them to cool down. Cut the eggplant in halves, and with the help of a spoon, separate the pulp from the skin.
  2. Eggplant Pesto
    Mash in a mortar the mint leaves, 2 cloves of garlic, a teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the mixture is creamy and smooth, add the eggplant pulp and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a little at a time. Continue to mash until everything is well mixed. If your mortar is too small, divide the ingredients and repeat the operation as needed.
  3. Zucchini in the Skillet
    Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Sautee a clove of garlic, then add the zucchini cut into chunks. Proceed with the cooking over high heat until the zucchini will be well browned (but do not burn them!), then add salt, drain, and leave them to rest on a paper towel.
  4. Finishing
    Boil the caserecce in salted water. Drain and toss them in the skillet with the eggplant pesto for a couple of minutes, enough to heat and mix well. Finally, add the zucchini chunks and complete with a sprinkling of pecorino cheese and black pepper.
3.2.2807

Filed Under: My Authentic Italian Recipes, Pasta, Rice & Co., Recipes, Vegetarian Tagged With: caserecce, cheese, eggplant pesto recipe, italian cheese, italian cuisine, italian food, italian sauce, mint, mint recipe, pasta, pecorino, pesto, pesto recipe, tuscan, tuscan cheese, tuscan pecorino, zucchini

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Trackbacks

  1. Easy & Healthy Pesto Recipes That Will Blow Your Mind says:
    12/05/2014 at 4:36 pm

    […] This pesto is out of this world. I find eggplants very delicious, maybe because of it’s unique texture and taste. Zucchini is also one delicious veggie. This pesto is pretty flavorful and healthy. Here is the recipe. […]

    Reply

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