Maltagliati fresh pasta with eggplant and toasted pine nuts

• 5 minutes to prepare • 25 minutes to cook • Serves 4

 

 

10 MINUTES

Melt-in-your-mouth eggplant, ricotta salata cheese, crunchy pine nuts and tomatoes come together in this delicious first course that screams summer.
Never mind if it’s not actually summer in your part of the world. In that case, the oven will warm up your freezing apartment and you will love this pasta dish even more. Seems like everybody can be happy with this one!

Perfect as a tasty main dish, this veggy recipe is healthy, relatively low-calorie and absolutely delicious! -
Plus there’s a ton of cheese. See the picture? Nom nom nom. Ricotta salata and pasta go perfectly well together. It’s comfort food at its best.

This recipe was inspired once again by Cucchiaio's website but I simplified and lightened it up a bit. Now I think we have the best of both world: taste and simplicity. Enjoy!

Here's what you will need for the 4-serving recipe:

 

400 g Maltagliati fresh pasta
1 eggplant
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
1 dry chilli pepper
50 g pine nuts
2 tomatoes
50 g  coarsely shredded Ricotta salata cheese
EVO oil
salt and pepper

 

1. Place a pot of water to boil and salt it
2. Toast pine nuts in a hot pan and keep them aside
3. Pour 2 tablespoons of EVO oil in a pan with the shallot, finely chopped, and the clove of garlic; when the shallot has become transparent and the garlic is golden, add the eggplant - cut into small cubes - and the dry chili pepper. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 20 minutes
4. Add the tomatoes coarsely cut and let them soften for few minutes more
5. Meanwhile, cook Maltagliati fresh pasta al dente. Drain and pour them into the pan with the eggplant. Add toasted pine nuts, too , and stir to mix
6. Sprinkle Maltagliati with ricotta salata cheese, and freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately!

In the following, Nutrition Facts of this dish are indicated. Data is provided per serving.

Summertime, and the livin' is easy