Eggplant

Do you have eggplant growing in your garden this  year? I do, but sometimes eggplant can feel like an intimidating vegetable to me. If you don’t know how to handle them, they can develop a bitter flavor. They also absorb oil like a sponge, so the amount of oil you need to cook them in can feel like too much for me. In Italy, I learned that blanching dices of eggplant quickly in salted water keeps them bright green, softens them without a lot of oil and takes away bitterness. Once they are blanched, you can toss them in a mix of sauteed vegetables and you’ve got something nice for pasta. If you have a small garden, a zucchini, an eggplant, an onion, a few tomatoes can all come together is a snap for a nice meal for your family. In this recipe, we have kept it super simple with a red onion, an eggplant, a little bit of fresh thyme and crushed red pepper.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large eggplants
• 1 red onion
• 15 oz. canellini beans
• 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 3 tbsp. of extra virgin olive
• crushed red pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil; add salt to taste.
2. Peel the eggplant, cut in dices, then add to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, draining well and set aside.
3. Add oil to a large skillet and sautè the onion and thyme for a minute or so. Stir in the beans and eggplant and stir frequently as you simmer, adding some of the pasta cooking water if needed.
4. Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil and cook your favorite jovial pasta according to package instructions. Drain and mix well with sauce and serve. We think our brown rice spaghetti tastes great with this recipe!