Recipe courtesy of Tiffany Derry
Recipe courtesy of Tiffany Derry
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Worst Cooks in America
Sicilian Eggplant Parmesan Spaghetti al Pomodoro
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- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr 5 min
- Active: 1 hr 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings
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- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 4 servings
- Calories
- 1399
- Total Fat
- 91 g
- Saturated Fat
- 32 g
- Carbohydrates
- 86 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 15 g
- Sugar
- 21 g
- Protein
- 62 g
- Cholesterol
- 568 mg
- Sodium
- 1958 mg
Many of us grew up eating eggplant Parmesan fried crispy and covered with mozzarella and tomato sauce. Well this is not that; this is Sicilian style, which I think is the best. You salt and pan-fry the eggplant to emphasize its meaty texture. Parmesan, basil and tomato make for an unforgettable bite, served with some fresh pasta.
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr 5 min
- Active: 1 hr 30 min
- Yield: 4 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 4 servings
- Calories
- 1399
- Total Fat
- 91 g
- Saturated Fat
- 32 g
- Carbohydrates
- 86 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 15 g
- Sugar
- 21 g
- Protein
- 62 g
- Cholesterol
- 568 mg
- Sodium
- 1958 mg
Ingredients
Dough:
Eggplant Parmesan:
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Directions
Special equipment:
a pasta machine- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- For the dough: Mix together the 00 flour, semolina and salt in a large bowl. Turn the flour mixture out onto a clean work surface. Make a well by spreading the flour mixture out into a circle, creating a hole in the middle. Pour the egg yolks, oil and 2 tablespoons water into the middle of the well. Using a fork, swirl the egg yolk mixture while beginning to incorporate the flour mixture. If the egg yolks start to spill out of the well, use a bench scraper to fold them back into the flour. Continue until all the liquid has been incorporated and the flour is no longer dry.
- Once the flour and egg yolk mixture becomes crumbly, flour your hands and knead the dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. Press the dough with your finger; if it bounces back a little, it’s ready to rest. Shape the dough into a ball by folding the edges underneath itself. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
- For the eggplant Parmesan: Preheat a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat with 1/4 cup of the olive oil in it. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes, stirring periodically to make sure it doesn’t burn.
- Add the tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, basil sprigs and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Liberally salt the eggplant on both sides and allow it to sit on a sheet tray lined with paper towels for 10 minutes to draw out the moisture.
- Heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Wipe most of the salt and moisture off the eggplant slices with a paper towel, then lightly sprinkle with salt and black pepper on one side. Shallow-fry the eggplant for about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a sheet tray lined with paper towels and set aside.
- Spread about 1/2 cup tomato sauce on the bottom of a 7-by-11-inch baking dish. Top with a layer of eggplant slices. Spread another 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan and some of the mozzarella slices. Repeat the layering process 3 more times until all the eggplant slices and mozzarella have been used. On the final layer, evenly spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce on top and finish with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- To make the pasta, cut the dough in half, wrapping one half in plastic wrap while not in use. On a floured work surface, roll out half the dough to about 1/4-inch thick.
- Feed the pasta dough through a pasta machine, starting on the widest setting. Fold the dough in half, then roll it through twice more on this setting. Adjust the machine to the next thinnest setting and repeat. Move down by one setting each pass, running it through each setting twice before moving on to the next. Dust with semolina if the dough becomes too sticky at any time. The pasta should be thin but not so thin that it will tear. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough.
- Cut the pasta sheets into 8-inch-long pieces. Change to the spaghetti attachment for your pasta machine. Pass the sheets through the machine to make spaghetti. Place the spaghetti on a parchment-lined sheet tray and dust with semolina. Store the pasta in the fridge until ready to use.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and stir in 2 tablespoons salt. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes. Use a spider or tongs to transfer the pasta from the water to a large sauté pan. Toss with 2 cups tomato sauce, 1/4 cup basil leaves, the butter, a drizzle of olive oil and a ladleful of pasta water. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 cup Parmesan.
- Serve the eggplant Parmesan alongside the spaghetti al pomodoro. Garnish with basil leaves and more grated Parmesan.
