Caponata Spaghetti With Ricotta Salata Recipes

EGGPLANT CAPONATA PASTA WITH RICOTTA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the raisins, sugar, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 cup water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and let cook about 2 minutes, then cover and set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high. Stir in half the eggplant to coat evenly in the oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. (Eggplant should brown and tenderize but still maintain its shape.) Heat another 1/4 cup oil, then add remaining eggplant; season and repeat.
• While the eggplant cooks, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta. (You might not use all the pasta water.)
• Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the shallot, pine nuts, capers, garlic and red-pepper flakes, stirring frequently, until the shallot is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the eggplant, along with the sliced basil and vinegar.
• Strain the soaked raisins, discarding the soaking liquid, then add the raisins to the eggplant mixture and toss to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper. The mixture should taste quite aggressively salty and tangy, but it will mellow when tossed with pasta and ricotta. (Eggplant mixture can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
• Add eggplant mixture, pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the pot. Toss to coat over medium heat until eggplant is warmed, adding extra pasta water if necessary. Divide among shallow bowls, top with ricotta and additional torn basil and serve immediately. Pass with additional olive oil for drizzling, if desired.

PASTA WITH LEMON, HERBS AND RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water and add enough salt so that you can taste it. Bring to a boil. Pour the chicken broth into a small saucepan, drop in the garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce by half. Remove garlic. Shut off the heat; add the lemon zest and juice. Season to taste. It should be highly seasoned because this will be the sauce for the pasta. Keep warm. Place 4 serving bowls in a low oven.
• When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. After five minutes, ladle out about 1 cup of the cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta, shake, then return it to the pot. Place over low heat and pour in the chicken broth. Sprinkle in the mint, marjoram and fennel and a little olive oil. Stir. The pasta should be brothy and lemony. Add some of the reserved cooking water, salt and more lemon juice, if needed.
• Spoon into bowls so that the pasta is lying in a bit of broth. Crumble the ricotta over top, sprinkle with a dash more oil and grind pepper over the top. Serve.

GRILLED EGGPLANT CAPONATA BRUSCHETTA WITH RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Brush the tomatoes and eggplant with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the eggplant until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes each side. Grill the tomatoes until charred all over, about 8 minutes. Remove the eggplant and tomatoes from the heat and cut into dice.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil in a large saute pan. Add the celery and onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant and tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the olives, vinegar, raisins, capers, sugar, chile flakes, a big splash olive oil, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil and parsley and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Transfer the caponata to a bowl and keep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. The caponata can be made 1 day in advance, covered and refrigerated. Bring the caponata to room temperature before serving.
• Meanwhile, grill the bread on both sides until slightly charred, about 30 seconds each side. Remove the bread from the grill and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each slice of bread with some of the caponata and sprinkle with the ricotta salata. Drizzle the top of each slice of bread with more olive oil and scatter basil on top.

CAPONATA PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion for 8-10 mins until starting to caramelise (or for longer if you have time - the sweeter the better). Add the garlic for the final 2 mins of cooking time.
• Tip in the mixed veg, tomatoes, capers and raisins. Season well and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins, or until you have a rich sauce.
• Meanwhile, boil the kettle. Pour the kettleful of water into a large pan with a little salt and bring back to the boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender with a little bite, then drain, reserving some of the pasta water. Tip the pasta into the sauce, adding a splash of pasta water if it needs loosening. Scatter with the basil leaves and parmesan, if you like, and serve straight from the pan

SUMMER TOMATO SALAD WITH RICOTTA SALATA AND CREAMY GARLIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Arrange tomatoes on a platter. Toss fennel in a bowl with a few tablespoons of the creamy garlic dressing and season with salt and pepper. Mound the fennel in the middle of the platter on top of the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the herbs, cheese and olives and drizzle with some more of the creamy garlic dressing.
• Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly add the olive oil until emulsified and season with salt and pepper to taste.

WILTED GREENS WITH RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• Wash the greens, but do not dry. Trim the large stems and coarsely chop. Set aside.
• Warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 4 minutes longer. Add the greens, chicken broth, soy sauce, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the greens have wilted and become tender, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer the cooked greens to a serving plate and crumble the ricotta salata cheese over the top.

BUCATINI AMATRICIANA WITH RICOTTA SALATA

Steps:

• If using, cut pancetta into i/4 inch dice. Heat oil in a deep skillet over medium-low heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring, until it crisps and renders its fat, about 10 minutes. Remove pancetta and set aside. Break into small pieces when cooled. Remove all but about 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan and discard.
• Add oil and onion and cook, stirring often, until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Add red pepper flakes then add tomatoes and crush against the pan if using whole. Cook, stir and crush tomatoes into small bits, for 5 minutes.
• Simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While sauce cooks, bring large pot of water to a rolling boil with salt (about 1 Tbsp for every 2 quarts - it should be salty). Fifteen minutes before sauce is done, add pasta to water. Stir and then cook until al dente, 11-12 minutes or according to package directions.
• Reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water, drain pasta in colander. Add butter and toss quickly, then transfer to pan with sauce. Stir until strands are thinly but evenly coated. Add a little cooking liquid if pasta seems dry. Add half Ricotta Salata and stir to combine well.
• Transfer pasta to large bowl or platter and sprinkle with pancetta and remaining cheese. Serve hot.
• For Vegetarian omit the pancetta or use vegetarian bacon.

CAPONATA SPAGHETTI WITH RICOTTA SALATA RECIPE

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti. Drain; reserving a ladleful of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. While the pasta is working, in a large, deep skillet, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the eggplant, onion, cubanelle pepper, celery, garlic and crushed red pepper; season wtih salt and pepper and stir well. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and parsley and simmer over low heat until the pasta is ready. Add the sauce to the pasta and toss, adding the reserved pasta cooking water as necessary to make a nice consistency. Toss well. Top with ricotta salata and basil.