Pasta with Eggplant Two Ways

Pasta, tomatoes and eggplant go so well together. Both of these recipes use roasted, rather than fried, eggplant, keeping things a little lighter. While fried eggplant can be delicious, it's all too easy to turn this versatile vegetable into an oil-saturated sponge.

Pasta with Eggplant Puree is adapted from Food Network luminary Giada De Laurentiis. I've omitted the red pepper flakes and several tablespoons of oil for finishing the dish. And, I prefer basil to her mint. You could also serve the puree by itself as a side dish or as part of an antipasto platter.

Pasta with Roasted Eggplant Sauce is Rachael Ray's take on the Sicilian classic, Pasta Alla Norma, and is adapted from her book, 365: No Repeats... A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners. She uses ricotta salata, and I certainly would too... if I could find it locally. If you want your pasta to be a touch more authentically Italian (sauce is merely a condimento), reserve some of the sauce for another dish. Just imagine how good it would be on homemade pizza (see below).

Pasta with Eggplant Puree

1 lb. tubular pasta, such as rigatoni or penne
1 medium eggplant
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
3 gloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
handful of basil leaves, torn
Grano Padano, grated
salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel and cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Toss with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Spread vegetables evenly on baking sheet and roast for approximately 35 minutes or until eggplant is golden.

Place pine nuts in a small oven-safe dish and roast during the last 8 minutes of baking.

Cook pasta (according to package directions) in ample, salted water until al dente. In the meantime, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Transfer to a large serving bowl.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 to 1 1/2 cups of cooking liquid. Add pasta and 1/2 cup of pasta water at a time to the puree until the dish reaches the desired consistency. Serve pasta sprinkled with pine nuts, basil and grated Grana Padano.

Pasta with Roasted Eggplant Sauce

1 lb. tubular pasta, such as rigatoni or penne
1 large or 2 small eggplant
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
handful of basil leaves, torn
1 to 2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Peel and cut eggplant(s) into 1-inch cubes. Toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and spread evenly onto a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 25 minutes or until both eggplant and garlic are tender. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until smooth.

In the meantime, add the remaining two tablespoons olive oil to a large sauce pan. Saute onion over medium-high heat until translucent. Stir in crushed tomatoes and eggplant puree. Season with additional salt and pepper.

Cook pasta (according to package directions) in ample, salted water until al dente. Drain and toss with sauce. Serve pasta sprinkled with basil and feta.

Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce

Hearing so much about the latest sauce du jour, chimichurri, I had to try it. This recipe, adapted from the June 2008 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, is delicious, easy and acceptable to even the pickiest of eaters (I know, because I'm also one of them). Of course, if you want to keep everything authentic, go with flank (or skirt) steak and serve with some simple bruschetta... grilled Pugliese or Tuscan bread rubbed with garlic and served with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce

3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup Italian parsley, packed
handful of basil leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 garlic gloves, peeled and halved
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
salt and additional pepper to taste

Combine olive oil, parsley, basil, vinegar, garlic and lemon juice in a small food processor until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken in a zipper bag and pour sauce over chicken. Seal bag and marinate chicken while grill heats (or longer for maximum flavor). Remove chicken from marinade and grill over medium heat until chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees.