Bucatini Con Melanzane E Salsiccia Recipes

BUCATINI WITH PANCETTA, CHEESE AND EGGS

Steps:

• Cook pasta until al dente.
• Heat the butter and fry the pancetta until lightly browned; set aside.
• Lightly beat the egg yolks and the milk in a bowl. Add the cheese. Pour the egg mixture into the bacon and add the pasta.
• Warm through, but do not cook the eggs. Toss well adding plenty of black pepper.

PENNE WITH EGGPLANT AND SAUSAGE (PENNE CON MELANZANE E SALSICCIA

Steps:

• Saute eggplant and garlic in olive oil until the eggplant is tender. Remove to a plate.
• In the same pan, cook the sausage.
• Add the red wine, using it to deglaze the pan. Reduce slightly.
• Add the broth and the tomatoes, crushing the tomatoes by hand into the pan.
• Return eggplant to the sauce. Salt to taste.
• Simmer until flavors blend and sauce has thickened slightly.
• Serve over cooked penne or other pasta.

A DRUM OF EGGPLANT AND BUCATINI (TIMBALLO DI MELANZANE E BUCATIN

Steps:

• Cut off the stems of the eggplants and discard. Slice the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Salt and layer the eggplant slices in a colander set over a bowl.
• Place a large bowl of water on top of the slices to act as a weight. Let the eggplant "sweat" for at least 1 hour to remove the excess water.
• Butter a 9 x 3 1/2-inch-deep round mold or cake pan and coat the inside evenly with the 1/2 cup bread crumbs.
• Shake out the excess crumbs and refrigerate the mold until ready to fill.
• To make the sauce:
• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and cook, stirring, the onions, carrot, and celery until they soften.
• Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic softens.
• Stir in the tomatoes, red wine, and bay leaf.
• Cover the pan and simmer the sauce for 30 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Remove the bay leaf before using.
• Cook the bucatini according to the directions.
• Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
• In a medium-size bowl, combine the veal, egg, white wine, the 2 tablespoons grated Pecorino, bread crumbs, and salt. Mix gently to just combine the ingredients. Form marble-sized meatballs with your hands.
• Note: Instead of frying the meatballs, bake Bake the meatball on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 350ºF until nicely browned, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer the meatballs to the bowl with the bucatini. Add the mozzarella, parsley, and 2 cups of the tomato sauce. Stir to combine the ingredients well and set aside.
• Rinse and dry the eggplant slices.
• Heat the peanut oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant slices a few at a time until they soften, about 2 minutes on each side.
• Drain the slices on brown paper.
• Use additional oil if the pan seems dry.
• Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
• Line the prepared mold with the eggplant slices, draping them lengthwise over the bottom and overlapping them up the sides of the mold. There should be about a 3-inch overhang over the top edges of the mold. Make sure there are no open spots and that the mold is completely lined with the slices.
• Spoon the bucatini mixture evenly in the mold, packing it down with a wooden spoon all the way around.
• Fold the overhanging slices of eggplant in over the top of the mold; the mixture should be completely encased by the eggplant.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the remaining tomato sauce over the top of the mold and sprinkle with the 1/4 cup Pecorino.
• Bake the timballo, uncovered, for 45 minutes. It is done when the timballo shrinks a bit along the sides and a knife will easily move along the sides.
• Remove the mold from the oven and loosely cover the top with a sheet of aluminum foil. Let the mold stand for 20 minutes.
• Heat the remaining tomato sauce. Remove the foil from the timballo and run a butter knife around the inside edges to loosen it. Place a serving dish larger than the mold over the top and carefully invert it onto the dish.
• Cut the timballo into wedges and serve with additional sauce on the side.
• Tip: Use fresh mozzarella cheese, but if it is not available, substitute pasteurized.

BUCATINI CON MELANZANE E SALSICCIA

Steps:

• Peel and dice the eggplant, put the pieces in a colander, sprinkle them well with salt, and let them sit for an hour in the sink, while the salt draws out the bitter juices. Rinse and pat them dry.
• Set pasta water to heat, salt it when it boils, and cook the bucatini.
• While doing this, skin and crumble the sausage into a pan, add the eggplant and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, and sauté the mixture until the sausage begins to brown and the eggplant has wilted.
• Add the tomatoes, thyme, and continue cooking covered for about 10 minutes, adding a little more liquid if the sauce looks like it's drying out.
• When the pasta is done, season it with the sauce and serve it with the cheese on the side.