Fettuccini with Eggplant and Whipped Ricotta
Fettuccini tossed with crispy eggplant and a fresh tomato sauce and topped with Whipped Ricotta Cheese.
Ingredients
For the Fresh Tomato Sauce:
- 6 plum tomatoes, with the stems cut out
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 1 cup onion, minced
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ¼ tsp. each dried oregano, kosher salt, sugar and crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp. fresh basil, sliced
To Assemble the Dish:
- 2 cups peeled and cubed eggplant (one-inch cubes)
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- fresh basil for garnishing
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 recipe whipped ricotta (see recipe below)
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the crispy eggplant: Place the eggplant in a colander, over a bowl. Sprinkle the eggplant with the kosher salt and let it sit for thirty minutes.
- While the eggplant drains, make the fresh tomato sauce: In a three- quart saucepan, half filled with boiling water, simmer the tomatoes for three minutes, or until their peels loosen. Drain and peel the tomatoes and chop them in half inch pieces.
- In a Dutch oven on low heat, melt the butter and oil and cook the onion and garlic until they're soft. Add the tomatoes and the rest of the sauce ingredients, and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring frequently. While the sauce simmers, fry the eggplant. Heat a half cup of olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Rinse and then dry the eggplant with paper towels. When the oil is very hot, heat the eggplant cubes on all sides, until it's brown. Cook until tender but not mushy. Drain on paper towels. While the sauce simmers cook the fettuccini according to the package directions. Also, make the whipped ricotta ( recipe below). Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and add in the eggplant. Toss the sauce with the drained fettuccini. Top with the fresh basil, whipped ricotta, and the parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 350kcal
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