Pasta Salad with Eggplants and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Name: Pasta Salad with Eggplants and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Rigatoni 11.3 oz; Sun-dried tomatoes in oil 3 tbsp; Eggplant 10.6 oz; Pine nuts 6 ½ tbsp; Peperoncino 1; Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp; Basil 20 leaves; Salted ricotta cheese 1.8 oz; Shallot 1.4 oz; Fine salt to taste

534

Calories per serving

Vegetarian

Energy Kcal 534
Carbohydrates g 71.8
of which sugars g 7.8
Protein g 15.9
Fats g 20.3
of which saturated fat g 3.66
Fiber g 5.5
Cholesterol mg 6
Sodium mg 551

Difficulty: Very easy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serving: 4 persone

PRESENTATION

Pasta salad is a summer main course that can be made in a thousand ways, even with fish! Today, we invite you to try the version with eggplants and sun-dried tomatoes, with all the flavors of Mediterranean cuisine: delicious both hot and cold, it can become a convenient packed lunch to take to the beach, or brighten up the table for a family lunch! The bold taste of sun-dried tomatoes, the crunchy counterpoint of toasted pine nuts, the spiciness of chili pepper, and the softness of grilled eggplants create a symphony of flavors that wins everyone over with its simple goodness. For an “all-eggplant” menu, we also recommend delicate eggplant caviar to serve as an appetizer, and crunchy eggplant meatballs to follow. Let yourself be carried away by the tasty purple vortex of this extraordinary vegetable, one of the symbols of the Mediterranean summer table, and try other recipes for quick and easy cold pasta!

INGREDIENTS: Rigatoni 11.3 oz (320 g); Sun-dried tomatoes in oil 3 tbsp (40 g); Eggplant 10.6 oz (300 g); Pine nuts 6 ½ tbsp (60 g); Peperoncino 1; Extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp (40 g); Basil 20 leaves; Salted ricotta cheese 1.8 oz (50 g); Shallot 1.4 oz (40 g); Fine salt to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Pasta Salad with Eggplants and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

To prepare the pasta salad with eggplants and sun-dried tomatoes, start by cutting the sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips 1. Then remove the seeds from the fresh chili pepper and cut it into very thin strips as well 2. Then cut the eggplant into 4 wedges, and slice each wedge into 1/8 inch (3-4 mm) slices 3.

Grill the eggplant slices on a hot griddle for about 2 minutes per side 4. Toast the pine nuts in a non-stick pan for 3-4 minutes, being careful not to burn them 5. At this point, throw the rigatoni into boiling salted water 6.

While the pasta is cooking, sauté the chopped shallot in large pieces in a pan where you have heated the oil over high heat 7, then add the chili pepper 8 and a ladle of pasta cooking water 9.

Cover with a lid and cook for a couple of minutes 10. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes 11 and extend with a little more pasta cooking water 12.

Drain the pasta al dente, and add it to the sauce in the pan 13. Also add the eggplants 14 and the toasted pine nuts 15.

Sauté the pasta for a couple of minutes, then sprinkle it with grated salted ricotta 16, coarsely hand-torn basil 17, and serve your pasta salad with eggplants and sun-dried tomatoes hot or cold according to your taste 18!