Cavatelli with Eggplant and Smoked Mozzarella
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Cavatelli with Eggplant and Smoked Mozzarella
Servings
6
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Calories
1135
Author:
Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds 1 large or 3 small globe eggplant, cut in 1/2-inch dices
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus 1/4 teaspoon)
- 2 cups vegetable oil
-
2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 carrot (peeled and cut in half)
- 1 small red onion (peeled and cut in half)
- 1 3- inch piece of Parmesan rind
5 basil sprigs (plus 1/4 cup chopped basil for garnish)
-
28-ounces tomato puree, such as Bio Orto
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
-
1 pound cavatelli, strozzapretti or orecchiette pasta
- 1 cup grated smoked mozzarella or provolone
- cheese
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, toss the eggplant with 1
- teaspoon salt and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Pat the eggplant dry with a paper towel. In
- medium saucepan, heat the vegetable oil
- over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot
- enough that a piece of eggplant begins to
- sizzle as soon as it hits the oil, it's ready.
- Fry the eggplant in 3 or 4 batches, until
- golden brown and cooked through, about 4
- minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon or
- a spider, remove the eggplant to a paper
- towel lined plate to drain. Sprinkle evenly
- with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Meanwhile, heat a nonreactive 3 1/2 quart
- Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil, carrot, and red onion and
- sweat just for 1 minute. Add the rind, basil,
- and tomato puree to the pan. Stir with a
- wooden spoon to mix well. Cover the pan,
- reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer
- for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to
- prevent the rind from sticking to the bottom.
- Turn off the heat and remove the
- vegetables and herbs and discard.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less
- than directed on the package, about 10
- minutes. Using a spider, scoop the pasta
- directly from the water into the sauce.
- Turn the heat back on to medium-low and
- add 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water and
- the grated cheese. Stir constantly until the
- sauce is creamy and the pasta is cooked
- through, adding pasta water by the 1/4 cup
- as needed to cook the pasta through and maintain a sauce. Stir in the eggplant and
- warm through. Serve sprinkled with the
- chopped basil.
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 6
- per serving
- Calories
- 1135
Amount/Serving
% Daily Value
- Carbs
- 75 grams
- Protein
- 19 grams
- Fat
- 86 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 9 grams
- Cholestrol
- 18 milligrams
- Sodium
- 878 milligrams
- Fiber
- 9 grams
- Sugar
- 13 grams
- Trans Fat
- 1 grams
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