Perciatelli With Roasted Tomatoes And Eggplant Recipes

PERCIATELLI WITH TUNA, CAPERS AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add anchovies with capers and garlic and sauté 2 minutes, mashing to paste with back of fork. Mix in tomatoes with their juices and white wine. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add tuna and parsley and mix to break up large tuna chunks.
• Drain pasta. Add to sauce and toss to blend. Season to taste with pepper.

PASTA WITH CAULIFLOWER, SPICY TOMATO SAUCE AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you core the cauliflower and break it into florets. Add a generous amount of salt to the water and blanch the cauliflower for 5 minutes, or until tender. Use a skimmer or strainer to scoop the cauliflower from the water and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain and chop the florets into small pieces. Keep the water at a simmer.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet and add the garlic and chili flakes. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the puréed tomatoes, a pinch of sugar, and salt to taste. Add the capers and cauliflower and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the perciatelli. Cook al dente, usually about 7 or 8 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta water to the pan with the cauliflower and stir. Drain the pasta and add to the pan, along with the parsley and the pecorino. Stir together and serve.

PERCIATELLI WITH TOMATO AND PROSCIUTTO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.
• Drain the tomatoes and reserve the juice. Cut the tomatoes in quarters lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and cores. Stir the perciatelli into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and bay leaves and cook until the onion is wilted but still crunchy, about 4 minutes. Add the prosciutto and stir 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, about 1 cup of the reserved liquid, and the crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer, and cook until the pasta is done.
• Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta-cooking liquid, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add half the sauce and the remaining olive oil. Stir until the sauce is bubbling and the pasta is coated. If necessary, add as much of the reserved pasta-cooking liquid as needed to make enough sauce to coat the pasta lightly but evenly. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Transfer the pasta to a heated platter or serving bowls and top with the remaining sauce.

PERCIATELLI WITH BROCCOLI, TOMATOES AND ANCHOVIES

Steps:

• Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let sit for 20 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the baby broccoli. Blanch for 4 minutes and, using a skimmer or tongs, transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain and shake out excess water. If the stems are thick and hard, peel. Chop coarsely.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until it smells fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute, and add the anchovies, thyme and tomatoes. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in the olives. Drain the raisins or currants and add, along with the broccoli and about 1/4 cup of the cooking water from the broccoli. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broccoli is very tender and the sauce is fragrant. Keep warm while you cook the pasta.
• Bring the water back to a boil and cook the pasta al dente, following the timing instructions on the package. Check the sauce and if it seems dry add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and transfer to the pan with the sauce. Toss together and serve, sprinkled with pecorino or Parmesan. If desired, drizzle a little olive oil over each serving.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Spread out eggplant cubes and peppers on a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with 3 tablespoons oil and season well with salt. Roast, turning everything, until eggplant and peppers are very soft and deeply golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in well-salted boiling water until about 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain.
• Using the large holes of a box grater, grate tomatoes over a large skillet so the pulp falls into the skillet. To do this, hold on to the curved side of the tomato in your hand and slide the cut, flat side across the holes. Stop grating just before you reach the skin.
• Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan with the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer until tomato pulp is reduced by half, then season to taste with salt.
• Add the pasta, capers and butter, if using, to the pan with the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, tossing until butter melts and pasta finishes cooking, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and toss in eggplant and cheese, if using.
• Serve pasta drizzled with a little more oil and the herbs.