pasta - Penne Pasta with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Olives

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Penne Pasta with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Olives

 

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Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00

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Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup diced red onion -- (about 1 small onion)

2 small garlic cloves -- minced

1 cup diced yellow bell pepper -- (about 1 medium-size pepper)

1 small eggplant -- (12-ounce) trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch

dice but not peeled

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped, unpeeled red-ripe

tomatoes -- (about 3 medium-size tomatoes)

1 package penne -- (8-ounce) cooked and drained according to

package directions

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf)

parsley

1/3 cup thinly sliced, pitted ripe olives

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

 

ERIN COOPEY, Mountain View, California

 

" I developed this recipe in the summer of '97, " said Erin, a corporate concierge

in the Silicon Valley. " I was teaching English in Japan and although I am an

adventurous eater, Japanese food is unusual and at times I was desperate for

something familiar and Western. I had only two gas burners and a toaster oven to

cook with and most imported foods were outrageously priced at the local stores,

so pasta-relatively inexpensive-was an obvious choice. I combined seasonal

produce from Japan with a few imports (black olives and Parmesan) and finished

the dish with a little balsamic vinegar. The Scottish woman down the hall joined

me for dinner and loved it! "

 

This is the recipe to prepare when locally grown young eggplants and sun-ripened

tomatoes are in season. If you pick an eggplant that's young enough, it will be

firm, devoid of bitterness, and its seeds will barely be visible. Older

specimens must be salted, weighted, and rid of their bitter juices. Save

yourself the time and trouble by using a baby (or adolescent) eggplant.

 

TIP: Bring a large kettle of lightly salted water to a boil at the outset, then

toss in the penne at the same time that you add the tomatoes to the skillet

(step 2). This way, the pasta will be done at about the same time as the

eggplant, tomatoes, and olives. If the pasta needs a few minutes more, no

problem. The eggplant mixture will wait for the pasta, but not vice versa.

 

1. Heat olive oil in large heavy skillet over moderately high heat until ripples

appear on skillet bottom-1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add onion and garlic and saute,

stirring now and then, until soft-about 2 minutes.

 

2. Mix in bell pepper, eggplant, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper,

reduce heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Add

tomatoes, cover, and cook until eggplant softens-about 5 minutes more.

 

3. Dump hot drained penne into large heated bowl, add skillet mixture along with

parsley, olives, vinegar, and cheese. Toss well and serve at once.

 

RE C I P E F R 0 M

 

Erin Coopey, Mountain View, California

 

Source:

" Cut the Calories Cookbook/Good Morning America "

Copyright:

" 2000 Sara Moulton and Jean Anderson "

 

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 82 Calories; 4g Fat (36.5% calories from

fat); 2g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 139mg

Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat.

 

 

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0