Best Eggplant And Feta With Fusilli Recipes

SAUSAGE AND EGGPLANT FUSILLI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for about 8 minutes, or 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Meanwhile, toss the eggplant with 1 tablespoon salt in a colander; allow to sit for 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water, then squeeze out the excess moisture. Dry well on a paper towel-lined tray.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large straight-sided pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Push the sausage off to one side, add the eggplant and cook without stirring for about 3 minutes. Stir together the eggplant and sausage and continue to cook, stirring often, until the eggplant is soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the shallots and garlic; cook for another 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the reserved pasta water, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the tomatoes and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and simmer for about 8 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the tomatoes.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and sprinkle the Parmesan and provolone on the bare pasta. Using two wooden spoons, toss to combine until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy and coats the pasta.

EGGPLANT AND FETA WITH FUSILLI

Steps:

• Turn on broiler. Bring water to boil for pasta in covered pot.
• Wash and trim the eggplant (do not peel) and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cover broiler pan with aluminum foil and arrange slices on pan. Spray tops of eggplant with pan spray, and broil 2 or 3 inches from source of heat until tops are brown.
• Chop all the onion. Heat a nonstick pan large enough to hold all the sauce ingredients until it is very hot. Reduce heat to medium high, and add oil. Saute the onion until it begins to soften and brown.
• Meanwhile, mince the garlic; chop the tomatoes. Check the eggplant: if it is browned, turn, spray with nonstick spray and continue to broil. It takes about 10 minutes broiling time to cook the eggplant.
• Add the garlic to the onions when they have softened, and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and vinegar; reduce heat to low and continue cooking.
• Chop the oregano and thyme, and add to the sauce as it cooks.
• Cook the pasta.
• When the eggplant is ready, cut it into small chunks (about 1 inch) and stir into the sauce.
• Pit the olives, and chop and add to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Wash and chop the parsley.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain and stir in the sauce. Stir in the cheese and parsley, and serve with the bread.

GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH MARINATED FETA

Steps:

• Slice 2 eggplants 1/2 inch thick; lay on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and let sit 10 minutes, then pat dry. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil with 1 grated garlic clove in a saucepan, 1 minute. Stir in 1 tablespoon each chopped oregano and parsley, 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Let cool; pour over 4 ounces crumbled feta. Brush the eggplant with olive oil; grill over medium-high heat, 5 minutes per side. Top with the feta.

PASTA WITH EGGPLANT, CAPERS, AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Toss eggplant with salt in a colander set in a large bowl, then let drain, tossing occasionally, 1 hour.
• While eggplant drains, rinse capers in a sieve and transfer to a small bowl. Cover capers with water by 2 inches and soak 30 minutes. Drain, then repeat soaking. Drain and rinse capers, then squeeze dry and coarsely chop.
• Roast bell pepper on rack of a gas burner over moderately high heat, turning with tongs, until skin is blackened, about 5 minutes. (Or broil pepper on a broiler pan about 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes.) Transfer to a bowl, then cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let pepper steam 10 minutes.
• When cool enough to handle, peel pepper and discard seeds, stem, and ribs. Pat pepper dry and purée in a blender until smooth.
• Rinse eggplant and pat dry thoroughly. Heat vegetable oil in a 4-quart pot over high heat until it registers 375°F on thermometer. Fry one third of eggplant, stirring gently, until just golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Fry remaining eggplant in 2 batches, returning oil to 375°F between batches.
• Pulse together olives, basil, mint, parsley, marjoram, and 2 garlic cloves in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Finely chop remaining garlic clove and cook in olive oil along with anchovy in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until anchovy dissolves and garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase heat to moderate and stir in pepper purée, then cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in olive mixture, capers, and wine and cook, stirring, until wine is evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in eggplant (sauce will be very thick) and remove from heat. Keep warm, covered.
• Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and stir into sauce. Season with salt.
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EGGPLANT AND ZUCCHINI PASTA WITH FETA AND DILL

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
• Add 2 tablespoons oil and zucchini to skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes.
• While the vegetables cook, boil the pasta in a pot of salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water and drain pasta. Return pasta and reserved cooking water to pot over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 cup of cheese and cook, stirring, until the cheese melts and forms a sauce, about 2 minutes. Stir in zucchini, eggplant and dill; season with salt and pepper.
• Serve pasta in bowls and top with remaining cheese.