I made this sauce with bounty from my garden (well....some of it anyway). So lets start here with some fried eggplant. Yes, I do occasionally have an affair with fried food too.
You will need the following:
Sliced Eggplant
Egg (I used 1 egg for half an eggplant)
Bread Crumbs
Garlic Salt
Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil for pan frying
You will need 2 bowls, one for the egg and another for the breadcrumb mix. Start by breaking your egg and swirling it around with a fork (or whisk) and get it all nice and mixed together.
In the second bowl, I use very precise measurements, a large shake of bread crumbs, followed by a heavy sprinkling of garlic salt, and two heavy shakes of Parmesan cheese. Mix together well.
Dip each slice of eggplant in the egg mixture and then into the bread crumb mixture and set aside.
Now is about the time you'll want to get your pasta going. I personally used spaghetti. Its what I had in the house. Don't be picky, this will taste amazing on any type of pasta.
Keep your eggplant off to the side and get started on the sauce. Or, liquid heaven. Whatever you prefer to call it.
The ingredients you will need are:
2-12 oz. jars of roasted red peppers, in olive oil, drained (reserve oil for later). You could be all Martha Stewart and roast your own peppers but, I just couldn't be bothered to be that amazing.
2 pints of cherry tomatoes....me, I chose to use tomatoes from my garden. So I cut up those bad boys you see in the photo above.
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped --I err on the side of more garlic and go with 3 cloves
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup white wine---I used Gewurztraminer
Handful of flat leaf parsley
Heavy sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Start by sauteing the onion and garlic for about 4 minutes in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Now would be when you want to use any reserved oil. Add in the tomatoes and peppers.
Cook until the tomatoes begin to become soft and break down.
Add wine.
Simmer until it becomes liquidy. Approximately 5 minutes.
Add parsley, red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper---if you think its necessary. I didn't.
Transfer to blend and blend until smooth.
Now back to your eggplant.
If you have any of the red pepper oil left, fry these babies up in that. Although plain jane olive oil is just fine too.
Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
Hopefully by now your pasta is ready. Drain. Transfer to bowl, add eggplant, and top with red pepper sauce. Add a sprinkling of cheese and you are ready to indulge in a blend of peppery pasta-y goodness...
Is your mouth watering? Good! We have left over wine!
Enjoy a glass with your meal. Yuuuummmmm.
This sauce made quite a bit, so the next day, I ate it again. I daydreamed about it all day at work, and came to ponder what I could put it on. Then I realized I had a bounty of green tomatoes in my garden.
Follow the steps to bread eggplant but use green tomatoes. Top with red pepper sauce, and try to stay conscious enough to finish the last bite.
Its OK, no one is looking, you can lick the plate clean.
Fried Eggplant
Ingredients:
Sliced Eggplant
Egg (I used 1 egg for half an eggplant)
Bread Crumbs
Garlic Salt
Parmesan Cheese
Olive Oil for pan frying
Directions:
You will need 2 bowls, one for the egg and another for the breadcrumb mix. Start by breaking your egg and swirling it around with a fork (or whisk) and get it all nice and mixed together.
In the second bowl, I use very precise measurements, a large shake of bread crumbs, followed by a heavy sprinkling of garlic salt, and two heavy shakes of Parmesan cheese. Mix together well.
Dip each slice of eggplant in the egg mixture and then into the bread crumb mixture and set aside.
Heat olive oil in skillet. Fry each side of eggplant until golden brown.
Transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
2-12 oz. jars of roasted red peppers, in olive oil, drained (reserve oil for later).
2 pints of cherry tomatoes
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 red onion
1/2 cup white wine
Handful of flat leaf parsley
Heavy sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Start by sauteing the onion and garlic for about 4 minutes in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Now would be when you want to use any reserved oil. Add in the tomatoes and peppers.
Cook until the tomatoes begin to become soft and break down.
Add wine.
Simmer until it becomes liquidy. Approximately 5 minutes.
Add parsley, red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper
Transfer to blend and blend until smooth.
Sounds and looks amazing!
ReplyDeletei think this looks really good
ReplyDelete