Aubergine Parmigiana

I've just finished reading Game of Mirrors by Andrea Camilleri, and as always, it's not just the plot that I find riveting, it's numerous food descriptions which make me want run to the kitchen and cook-cook-cook.
Being an Inspector Montalbano book, it's full of foodie references and descriptions. There are famous arancini cooked by one and only Adelina. They are basically a food of Gods, according to the Inspector.
"At Enzo's he gorged himself. A variety of antipasti, spaghetti in squid ink, a sampling of pasta in clam sauce, and a main course of fried red mullet (actually two generous helpings)". Well, that sounds delicious too. I'm very fond of squid ink pasta, and also clam pasta, though I don't think I could eat both in one sitting.
There's the sartu (the baked rice dish with lots of ingredients like pork, beef, peas, meatballs, eggs, salami, tomato sauce, provolone and pecorino cheeses, bread crumbs, onions and so on), "the involtini, and a big dish of chicory so bitter it seemed poisonous". Cannoli are mentioned more than once.
Pasta alla carrettiera has piqued my interest, and I might try to recreate it one day. According to the notes in the book, it is a simple dish of pasta with a spicy tomato sauce containing a great deal of garlic, hot pepper and parsley.
On one of the evenings, Salvo found a casserole of pasta 'ncasiata and a nice platter of fried shrimp and calamari. Pasta 'ncasiata features in several Montalbano books, and I have already cooked it - see my recipe post of Pasta 'ncasiata.
There were more recipes to be found:
"He went home. Adelina had prepared a big platter of aubergine Parmigiana. He savoured it on the veranda, eating it slowly to allow the flavour on the palate enough time to reach his heart, brain and soul."

Aubergine Parmigiana or Melanzane Parmigiana is a meat-free dish. It is not a vegetarian recipe as such, since parmesan and mozzarella are not vegetarian cheeses, but you can find a vegetarian mozzarella and parmesan-style cheese.

Aubergine Parmigiana
Ingredients:
3 medium sized aubergines
3tbsp olive oil + More for the grill
2 clove of garlic
4 sage leaves
1/2tsp dried thyme
6 basil leaves
1 tin of Cirio Tuscan chopped tomatoes
1 tin of Cirio plum tomatoes
1tbsp balsamic vinegar
1tsp caster sugar
250g mozzarella (2 packs of 125g)
40g parmesan
2tbsp breadcrumbs

First wash and pat dry the aubergines. I don't peel them. Slice lengthways, using a knife or a mandolin slicer into slices about 5mm thin.
In a deep frying pan, fry finely chopped garlic, sage and basil in the olive oil, stirring for about 5 minutes. Add the contents of two tins of tomatoes. I used two different types, but pick just one if you prefer. You will still need two tins. Add the dried thyme, balsamic vinegar, sugar and bring to boil, then lower the heat and simmer on low for about half an hour.
In the meantime, grill the thinly sliced aubregine on the well oiled grill pan. Grill on both sides until cooked through.
Assemble your parmigiana in a deep oiled ceramic dish: first a few spoonfuls of the tomato sauce, then a layer of aubergine slices, followed by one third of torn mozzarella. More sauce, aubergine and mozzarella until all the slices finish. Top up with more tomato sauce. Bake at 180C for about half an hour. Add the grated parmesan mixed with the pine nuts and breadcrumbs on top of the bake for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Serve hot, with fresh salad.

In this recipe I used two tins of Cirio chopped and plum tomatoes which work perfectly as a base for a tomato sauce. If you cannot find Cirio, any good quality tinned tomatoes will do.

I haven't done #ReadCookEat linky for the last couple of months, so apologies if you might have missed it.
What do you mean you didn't even notice it was absent? Tut tut.

Have you read a book recently which inspired you to run to the kitchen and cook to your heart's content?

I hope you are inspired by books to join in our #ReadCookEat challenge.

The idea is to choose a book, either a world classic or modern fiction, or even memoirs and pick up a dish mentioned or described in that book and then recreate it in a recipe. Please say a few lines about your chosen book, and maybe even do a quote from the book.

If you decide to take part, please add the badge to your post and link up back to me, and either use a link-up tool or add the url of your post as a comment. Alternatively, email me with the link to your post (my email is sasha1703 at yahoo dot com).

I promise to Pin all blogs posts taking part in this challenge, as well as RT and Google+

Pasta 'ncasciata

Pasta 'ncasiata is mentioned in several books from Inspector Montalbano series. This is a casserole of pasta corta (elbow macaroni, penne, ziti or something similar), tomato sauce, ground beef, parmesan and sometimes Bechamel sauce.
"He set the table, then looked in the fridge and found the pasta 'ncasiata and veal roulade from the day before. He put them in the oven at low heat..." (The Snack Thief, page 128)

In The Terracotta Dog, one of the best stories in the series, Montalbano stuffs himself with the pasta:
"He went home, put on his bathing suit, went for a long, long swim, came back inside, dried himself off, but did not get dressed again. There was nothing in the refrigerator, but in the oven sat, as on a throne, a casserole with four huge servings of pasta 'ncasiata, a dish worthy of Olympus. He ate two portions, put the casserole back in the oven..."

I have searched for Pasta 'ncasiata online, and there are different versions of this pasta dish. some use cubed or sliced aubergine, some make a kind of a pasta bomb wrapped in aubergine slices. Most versions I found don't use Bechamel sauce, yet the footnotes to Montalbano's book describe this pasta as cooked with Bechamel.

My version is based on the Italian book "Nivuro di siccia", which is a compilation of recipes appearing in the Inspector Montalbano series of books, and I trust their knowledge of authentic Sicilian dishes.
I have slightly adapted the recipe. First of all, I couldn't find any Caciocavallo cheese and used some mozzarella instead.

Pasta 'ncasiata
Ingredients;
1 medium sized aubergine
3tbsp olive oil + more for frying the aubergine (at least 5tbsp)
2 cloves of garlic
150g minced beef
750g tomato sauce
1 tsp dried basil
2 medium eggs, hard-boiled
100g salami
500g maccheroni/ macaroni
100g mozzarella
salt, pepper
a bit of Grana Padano, grated on top

Peel the aubergine, slice them, sprinkle with salt and leave for an hour. (Actually I didn't peel the aubergine as suggested)
Fry the garlic in 3tbsp of olive oil until golden. Then add the meat, tomato sauce and chopped parsley.
Season well with salt and pepper and cook on low heat for about 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. If necessary, add a little water.
I used a combination of tomato and basil sauce (350g) and Cirio chopped tomatoes (tin/400g). Use two tins of chopped tomatoes instead, or another tomato sauce pasta combination.
Wash the salt off the aubergines, dry and fry in the olive oil. Drain the cooked aubergine slices on paper towels and keep warm.
Hard boil the eggs.
Bring the salted water to boil and cook the pasta; drain and place in a pan with the meat sauce, aubergine, chopped salami and cubed cheese as well as finely chopped eggs.
Cook in the oven for 10 minutes at 180C until the cheese has melted. Grate a bit of Grana Padano on top before serving.
Serve the pasta dish in the same container for everyone to help themselves straight at the table.

Cirio Chopped tomatoes was one of the products in the latest Degustabox. This is an authentic Italian product. Tomatoes are already peeled, deseeded and chopped. It's a convenient ingredient to keep in the kitchen, as you can use it in many pasta dishes, casseroles or soups.

Now, what's the verdict? It was a tasty pasta dish. Food worthy of Olympus? Perhaps not. Maybe if I used caciocavallo cheese, it would have been a little bit more exciting. It is quite similar to ragu Bolognese, though most likely both Bolognese and Sicilians would throw rotten tomatoes at me for the comparison.

I haven't done yet with Montalbano recipes, watch this space.

And if you liked this recipe, I have some more recipe posts inspired by my favourite Inspector:
Caponata for Montalbano
Sarde a beccafico
Polpette di tonno (tuna meatballs)

Have you tried cooking any of the Sicilian dishes appearing in the Inspector Motalbano books and films?

Pasta alla Norma

It so happened that this week an Italian composer Bellini-inspired dishes have been on my mind, or should I say menu. First we went out with my husband on Tuesday, and I had a Bellini cocktail. I am quite predictable when it comes to cocktails, and usually stick to the same old favourites. And today, I cooked a classic Sicilian dish called Pasta alla Norma, which is named after Vincenzo Bellini's opera Norma.
There are quite a few different variations of the recipe, but the main ingredients stay the same - it is a pasta cooked with a sauce of aubergines and ricotta cheese.

I used a pack of Barilla penne rigate from August Degustabox. You can also cook this dish with conchiglie (seashells pasta shapes) or even spaghetti. Barilla penne is an authentic Italian pasta of excellent quality. Barilla as a brand is very popular in Italy, and every time we visit my in-laws and travel from the airport to my husband's hometown, I often see huge posters of Barilla pasta. Penne are shaped like old style pens with a cut off angled end, and they hold any sauce very well thanks to their shape.

Pasta alla Norma
Ingredients:
6tbsp olive oil +
2 medium aubergines, cubed
2 big tomatoes, chopped (you can also use a tin of plum tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes)
1 tin of Cirio tomato concentrate (optional)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2tsp chilli paste (or more if you like it hot)
a handful of chopped basil leaves
pasta shapes
100g fresh ricotta cheese

Slice and cube the aubergines. If using young smaller size aubergines, you don't even need to peel them, just remove the harder bit at the end where it was attached to the stalk. I also don't salt them, then rinse and dry, it works only with big sized older vegetables.
Put a generous glug of olive oil in a deep frying pan, about 6tbsp. You will be adding more oil once the aubergines are in the pan, as they absorb the oil like a sponge. Cook over a medium-high heat until golden brown and soft inside. Season well with sea salt.
If using the fresh tomatoes, core them and chop finely. Add to the aubergines with the chopped garlic and chilli paste. You can use a tin of plum tomatoes instead of the fresh tomatoes and tomato concentrate. I wanted to use the concentrate as it was the remains of the Degustabox from a few months ago. Add the torn or chopped basil leaves just a minute before the end of cooking.
The sauce should be quite thick.

In the meantime cook your pasta shapes al dente in the salted boiling water, as per instructions on the packet. Drain the pasta, not too thoroughly, then return to the pan, add the aubergine sauce and crumble ricotta in.
Serve hot.

Sarde a beccafico

The Snack Thief starts with the following paragraph "He woke up in a bad way. The sheets, during the sweaty restless sleep that had followed his wolfing down three pounds of sardines a beccafico the previous evening, had would themselves tightly round his body, making him feel like a mummy..."
Being a foodie, you read the novels the "wrong" way, as you pay too much attention to details which probably distract from the narrative. The Snack Thief is after all a detective novel. But then maybe not so "wrong", as Inspector Montalbano is the greatest foodie of all. His love of food is so great that he cannot abide having a conversation while he's eating.
Andrea Camilleri's series of Inspector Montalbano books features many recipes and mentions a lot of local Sicilian dishes. It is in a way a culinary encyclopedia of Sicily. It has inspired culinary tours, something that I would love to do one day.
There is also a book called Nivuro de siccia - a cook book of recipes inspired by the adventures of the most astute Commissario.
Just last week my husband was giving a talk in one of the Italian towns, and he mentioned that he has eaten sarde a beccafico. I haven't tried this dish before, and was very curious.
Sarde a beccafico is a Sicilian speciality named after beccafico or garden warbler in English. Apparently it is very partial to figs, hence the name which literally means a fig-pecker. The sardine fillets are stuffed, rolled and roasted or baked in the oven. I cannot say that my rolled stuffed sardines looked like any bird, but having a good look at the images online, I didn't think any of them did.

I have found the recipe for Sarde a beccafico in Nivuro di Siccia book, and also checked out a few recipes online. There are quite a few variations, both ingredients- and presentation-wise. My version is something in between.

Sarde a beccafico
Ingredients:
4 sardines, heads removed and filleted
3 whole anchovies
2tbsp olive oil
55g breadcrumbs
1 heaped tbsp capers, rinsed from salt
30g pine nuts
40g raisins
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 lemon
flat leaf parsley, about 2tbsp, chopped
And for the authentic recipe use fresh bay leaves. I forgot to buy any fresh bay leaves, so used a dried variety.
Start by filleting the sardines, or if you are lucky to find sardine fillets, just wash them and pat dry with the paper kitchen towels.
Fry the anchovies in the olive oil until almost melted, add the breadcrumbs, raisins and capers as well as pine nuts, cook until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. Zest the lemon and orange and add the zest to the breadcrumb mix.
Roll each fillet with about 1tbsp of stuffing inside. Place all the rolled sardines in a dish or tray slightly oiled, with the bay leaves on the bottom (or put them between the sardine rolls). Slice the zested lemon into discs, then each disc in halves, and put the lemon slices all between and around the fish. Squeeze the orange juice over. Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumbs over the fish. Place the tray in the oven preheated to 180C and cook for about 15 minutes.
Sprinkle some finely chopped flat leaf parsley before serving.

This was a very enjoyable fish dish. I was not sure how raisins will work with the fish, but they complemented each other nicely. I can see why Montalbano ate a kilo and a half, though I don't think I could compete with him. I had three rolls and felt stuffed like sarde a beccafico myself.

Caponata for Montalbano

"The moment he opened the refrigerator, he saw it.
 Caponata! Fragrant, colourful, abundant, it filled an entire soup dish, enough for at least four people. It had been months since Adelina, his housekeeper, last made it for him. The bread, in its plastic bag, was fresh, bought this morning. The notes of the triumphal march of Aida came spontaneously, naturally, to his lips. Humming, he opened the French windows after turning the light one the veranda. Yes, it was a cool night, but still warm enough to eat outside. He set the little table, brought the dish, the wine, and the bread outside, and sat down" (Excursion to Tindari, Andrea Camilleri)

Adelina's caponata appears quite frequently in Inspector Montalbano mysteries. This traditional southern Italian dish is often served as an appetizer or a side dish. You can eat it hot, you can eat it cold, it keeps well for a few days in the fridge. In Excursion to Tindary Montalbano takes a big dish of caponata out on the veranda to eat as his main course, with good bread and wine. According to a short description of the recipe in the endnotes of the book, anchovies are one of the ingredients of caponata. It is possible, that Adelina indeed adds anchovies to her caponata, but most of the recipes for this zesty colourful dish that I came across in my cook books and online, do not list this ingredient.

This is a screen shot from The scent of the night, but that's the right veranda

Caponata
Ingredients:

olive oil 8tbsp+
3 aubergines (800g)
1tsp dried oregano
2 medium red onions (200g)
2 cloves of garlic
2 stalks of celery (150g)
5 tomatoes
1 heaped tbsp capers (in salt, rinsed)
2tbsp white wine vinegar
2tbsp tomato paste
a handful of sultanas or golden raisins
a handful of green olives
a handful of pine nuts (you can use flaked almonds instead for a budget version)
sea salt, pepper
fresh parsley

For this dish you will need medium sized aubergines, which are firm and don't have too many seeds. Cube the aubergines (don't remove the skin). For this amount of aubergines, I used two frying pans, you can use one, but fry the cubes in two batches. Stir continuously, while cooking the cubed aubergines in the olive oil. Season with dried oregano. Aubergines soak the oil like tissue paper. If you don't want to use as much oil, you might roast the aubergine cubes instead. Cook both batches for about 7 minutes, until golden brown on all sides, but not entirely cooked yet. Put both batches into one pan, and set it aside. Fry finely chopped onions, garlic and celery in the 2nd pan for about 7-10 minutes, until translucent. Add to the aubergines. Chop tomatoes, and add to the pan. Mix all the ingredients well. Cook for about 15 minutes, with the white wine vinegar, tomato paste, golden raisins and green olives, stirring regularly. Rinse the salted capers before adding to the pan. Add the pine nuts at the last five minutes of cooking. Season well with sea salt and pepper. Add some fresh chopped parsley before serving.

Meet the veggies

I prefer to use the salted capers rather than those preserved in vinegar.

Caponata is a lovely snack, served on the multi-seeded toasted bread or a good chunk of ciabatta.

You can also use it as a sauce for pasta, just stir a few heaped tablespoons in your bowl of spaghetti, though this is not an authentic Italian way of eating it. Montalbano would probably shake his head in exasperation at my suggestion.
Well, for him I would also set the table with a big bowl of caponata, chunky bread and a bottle of wine.

I'm adding my recipe to In My Veg Box - Aubergines linky created by Nayna from Citrus Spice and hosted by Full Scoops
this month.

Just Add range of squeezy tubes

I'm a busy Mum, and holidays are always a pretty hectic time for me, when both of my guys are at home and demand my attention. I'm not the biggest fan of takeaways or ready-made meals and prefer to cook most of our meals from scratch. As I don't want to compromise on taste or quality, I appreciate the shortcuts which allow me to spend less time in the kitchen and still prepare decent dishes. Just Add range of squeezy tubes consists of squeezy Ginger, Coriander, Basil, Chilli, Garlic and Sun Dried Tomato and is available from ASDA and OCADO.

I do grow my own herbs and have a chilli plant in the greenhouse. The problem with the chilli I have is it is pretty hot, so even one chilli turns the meals into a fire-eating experience. What do you do? use only half a chilli? The answer might be to use just the right amount of chilli paste from Just Add tube, it allows you to measure exactly as much as you like it to be. Some like it hot. Some, like me, are wimps and prefer a milder flavour.

And if you want to spend more time enjoying the garden or reading to your kids, "Just Add removes the fiddly task of chopping when cooking meaning that you can simply reach for the squeezy tube or one shot sachet to add your desired taste sensation".
The choice of squeezy tubes allows you to cook a wide selection of dishes, from many world cuisines.
Just perfect for a fuss free meal, full of flavours.

Pasta with clams is one of my most favourites types of pasta. Typically I would chop the fresh herbs like parsley or coriander, add the chopped garlic or onion and sometimes a bit of a chilli too (see my previous post Pasta with clams and sea beet). This time I was testing the squeezy tubes, using them instead of the fresh herbs.

Pasta with clams
Ingredients:
spaghetti (75-100g dry pasta per person)
clams (about 250g per person)
2tsp Just Add coriander
1tsp Just Add garlic
1tsp Just Add chilli
a handful of baby tomatoes
salt, pepper
80ml white wine

The other day I bought a bottle of Sicilian wine Inycon Terre Siciliane Fiano 2012. Having treated myself to a set of Montalbano books, I really fancied a bit of a Sicilian wine for dinner (we also had a guest coming). To be honest, I expected more from a bottle priced at £7.79. It was OKish but rather boring and totally forgettable. But it was fine for cooking. If you cook pasta with clams, choose a nice dry white wine.
Anyway, as usual, I digress.
Cook the clams in a deep pan (wash them first and check if they are all broken, if you find any broken shells, discard them.). Add the coriander, chilli and garlic and pour in the white wine. Scatter a few baby tomatoes around. Add the salt. Cook until all the clams are open (to speed up the cooking, you might put the lid on the pan). If any clams remain closed, discard them.
Cook the spaghetti as specified on the pack in the salted boiling water, it should still be al dente. Drain the pasta and mix it well with the clams in their sauce. Serve immediately.
Do not add any parmesan if you want an authentic flavour.

I have been enjoying "The snack thief" by Andrea Camilleri, and laughed aloud reading the scene when Montalbano has lunch with his second-in-command Mimi Augello:
"When the spaghetti arrived, Montalbano had fortunately finished his hake. Fortunately, because Mimi proceeded to sprinkle a generous helping of Parmesan cheese over his plate. Christ! Even a hyena, which, being a hyena, feeds on carrion, would have been sickened to see a dish of pasta with clam sauce covered with Parmesan!" (The Snack Thief, page 33)

I laughed because I think in the past I have committed the same "crime". Mea culpa.

If you have fresh herbs like parsley or coriander, scatter a few torn leaves on top.

Taste-wise, it was really good. Looks-wise, I think I would still like to see the freshly chopped herbs. Just Add squeezy herbs were a good substitute for the fresh herbs and delivered a flavourful meal, and it was completely fuss-free too.
-------------------------
Another recipe that might inspire you to try Just Add squeezy tubes is
Chicken with kohlrabi and fennel

As I mentioned more than once on my blog, I am often having only a vague idea of what I am going to cook for dinner, it rather depends on what I have at my disposal or what catches my eye when I go shopping. I saw this pretty purple kohlrabi in Waitrose on offer, and got it for the chicken dish.

Chicken with kohlrabi and fennel
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs
1 kohlrabi (a turnip could be a good substitute), chopped
1 fennel bulb, sliced
2 medium carrots
1 garlic bulb, divided into cloves
3 tbsp olive oil
2tbsp Just Add basil
1tbsp Just Add coriander
a handful of baby tomatoes
salt, pepper
1tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Chop all the veg. In a big tray place the chicken thighs and all the chopped veg. Scatter the tomatoes and garlic cloves. In a small bowl mix the oil, Just Add herbs, lemon juice and salt with pepper. Pour in the tray over the chicken and veg, mix well, all the pieces should be coated evently.
Place the tray in the oven preheated to 180C and cook for about 45mins-1 hour. Stir all the veg and chicken a couple of times when they are cooking, so that the food is browned evenly. Check that the chicken is cooked through with a wooden skewer.
If you don't have a kohlrabi or fennel, substitute with a turnip and a big onion, or add parsnips as well as baby potatoes. The choice is yours.
Just Add herbs add a lovely flavour to this easy dish.

---------------------------------
You could add the squeezy herbs to all sorts of dips and sauces.


Carrot and orange soup
Ingredients:
3 medium carrots
2tbsp red lentils
1 orange (juice)
1 small potato
1 vegetable stock cube
2tbsp Greek style yogurt (e.g. Chobani)
1tbsp Just Add Coriander

Roughly chop the carrots and put them in the medium sized pan with the chopped potato and red lentils. Add the stock cube as well, and a bit of salt if you want. Squeeze the juice of 1 orange and add to the soup. Once the carrot is cooked, blitz the soup until it is consistently creamy.
In a small bowl mix the plain yogurt with Just Add coriander (basil would work as well). When you serve the soup, add a generous dollop of the yogurt-coriander mix to the soup.
Very easy, light, low calorie and delightfully satisfying. All the flavours sing together, and the touch of yougurt with coriander adds a lovely sour and herby note to the sweet soup.

To find our more about this range, look at Just Add Facebook page.

Disclosure: I received a selection of Just Add Squeezy Tubes for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions and recipe suggestions are mine.

Pasta alla Norma

This classic Sicilian pasta sauce combines the creaminess of aubergine with the sweet acidity of tomatoes and the fresh tang of ricotta cheese. This dish is named after the heroine of Vincenzo Bellini's opera of the same name. There are many versions of the recipe, but all contain aubergine (recipe taken from Taste Italia/July 2011 issue)
serves 4
prep. 15 minutes
cooking 45 minutes
1 large aubergine, trimmed, cut into 2cm thick slices
350 g fresh tomatoes or 400g tinned tomatoes, chopped
160ml olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled, thinly sliced
a handful of basil, leaves torn
400g conchiglie pasta
150f fresh ricotta cheese
Put the aubergine slices in a bowl of salted water for around 10 minutes. Drain and dry on paper towel. (If the aubergine is freshly picked and young, I would skip this stage, it shouldn't be bitter)
If using fresh tomatoes, remove the stems and score a cross in the bottom of each one. Blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds, transfer to cold water, peel the skin away from the cross, then chop the tomatoes. (Again, don't bother with crosses, the peel will break on its own)
Put a generous amount of olive oil in a frying pan and cook the aubergine in batches over a medium-high heat until golden brown and soft inside, adding more of the oil as you need it. Drain in a colander or on paper towels. Cut the aubergine into 2cm thick slices and set aside. (I am a bit confused here, why do you need to cut the aubergine after you cook it? I just cut it into cubes to start with, and didn't need this amount of olive oil, I added a bit of water and covered the pan with the lid, so it was perfectly cooked and not too oily. It wasn't necessary then to leave it on paper towels to absorb the extra oil).
Remove all but 2 tbsp of the oil from the frying pan, add the garlic, and cook until light golden brown. Add the tomatoes and season. Cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Add the aubergine and the basil leaves, mix well, then set aside.
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, until al dente. Drain briefly, leaving some of the water clinging to the pasta, then return the pasta to the saucepan with aubergine mixture and 100 g of the ricotta.
Mix briefly, check the seasoning, and serve immediately with the remaining ricotta crumbled over the top.