Category: eggplant

Pasta alla Norma or Pasta with Eggplant, Tomato Sauce, and Ricotta

Pasta alla Norma or Pasta with Eggplant, Tomato Sauce, and Ricotta

Pasta Alla Norma or Pasta with Eggplant, Tomato Sauce, and Ricotta is perhaps the most popular pasta dish to emanate from Sicily.  Pasta alla Norma dates back to the 19th century and the legend goes that it was so popular that it was named after Sicilian composer Bellini’s successful opera Norma to honor both the dish and the opera (according to […]

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Eggplant Fritters (Polpette di Melanzane)

Eggplant Fritters (Polpette di Melanzane)

The silver dollar sized eggplant fritters or Polpette di Melanzane pictured above are, at times, referred to as eggplant meatballs or patties and are made with a few basic ingredients, including fresh breadcrumbs, roasted or boiled eggplant, and good grated cheese (viz., Parmigiano-Reggiano).  Our mother Annunziata is an expert Eggplant Fritter maker which requires the ability to pan fry foods with […]

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Eggplant Bolognese

Eggplant Bolognese

We’re big fans of the classic eggplant pasta dish pasta alla norma but when we have a big appetite and are craving a pasta dish that is slightly more substantive we turn to our Eggplant Bolognese recipe prepared with large rigatoni. Eggplant Bolognese is a meal in and of itself and combines delicate pieces of fried eggplant with satisfying ground beef and tomato […]

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Sweet and Sour Eggplant (Melanzane in Agrodolce)

Sweet and Sour Eggplant (Melanzane in Agrodolce)

Our standard pickled eggplant recipe, or  Melanzane Sott’Olio, is a staple in our household, but when we crave a slightly more refined version, with a bit less work, we turn to sweet and sour eggplant or melanzane in agrodolce. Most melanzane in agrodolce begin by frying the eggplant but our version includes a quick boil and steeping technique that yields wonderfully delicate […]

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Pickled Eggplant (Melanzane Sott’Olio)

Pickled Eggplant (Melanzane Sott’Olio)

Pickled eggplant (Melanzane Sott’Olio) has been a staple of our Italian American pantry for 40+ years.  Along with giardiniera (a mix of pickled vegetables including carrots, cauliflower, celery, etc.) sun dried tomatoes in olive oil, and pickled mushrooms, our family keeps large quantities of pickled eggplant in our cool, basement, pantry.  We use both melanzane sott’olio and giardiniera (and all of […]

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Grilled Sicilian Eggplant with Pesto Feta Sauce

Grilled Sicilian Eggplant with Pesto Feta Sauce

We recently prepared a side dish consisting of grilled eggplant with shredded basil and the result was very good, however we wanted to intensify the dish a bit and, in turn, altered the eggplant variety and topping.  The end result was a grilled Sicilian, variety, eggplant and pesto feta recipe that elevated ordinary eggplant into a super contorno (or side […]

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Grilled Eggplant with Basil

Grilled Eggplant with Basil

The following Grilled Eggplant with Basil recipe is a great summer contorno or side dish and can be easily prepared via an outdoor grill.  The key to grilling eggplant outdoors is to cut the eggplant fairly thick (1/2 inch) and preseason with olive oil, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.  You’ll also want to be very sensitive to cooking time and […]

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Roasted Eggplant with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano (Melanzane al Forno con Parmigiano-Reggiano)

Roasted Eggplant with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano (Melanzane al Forno con Parmigiano-Reggiano)

(photo: cubed Sicilian, round, eggplant just prior to roasting) Our roasted eggplant with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano contains two ingredients (not including Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and extra virgin olive oil) and I’m very proud to assert the lack of ingredients in the dish!   The dish, like much of the cooking in Italy, is dependent on the ingredients.  The eggplant we used […]

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Grilled Eggplant with Herbs, Garlic, and Vinegar (Melanzane Arrostite)

Grilled Eggplant with Herbs, Garlic, and Vinegar (Melanzane Arrostite)

(photo: grilled eggplant with herbs, garlic, vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil or melanzane arrostite) Eggplant is consumed en mass in southern Italy and you see melanzane as a parmigiana, of course, pickled in olive oil and vinegar, slowly roasted and simmered for pasta alla norma, and my favorite preparation grilled with herbs, garlic, and vinegar.  

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Stovetop Eggplant Parmigiana

Stovetop Eggplant Parmigiana

One of the interesting culinary tidbits in Calabria is that most home cooks do not use their oven during the summer months given the intense weather.  The logic makes sense, however what does the dedicated cook do when s/he has a desire to make a baked dish?  Well, how about using your stovetop? Zia Giovanna used her stovetop to prepare a […]

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