EGGPLANT PESTO CASERECCE with mint and zucchini chuncks

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!

• 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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EGGPLANT PESTO CASERECCE with mint and zucchini chuncks

 

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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!

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.

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