Roasted Eggplant Sauce

This Sunday super is a total rip off from an amazing local restaurant well known for large bowls of steamy fresh pasta and house made sauces.  The original Quatro Pazzi in Stamford, CT on Hope Street is where this originated, the location has since changed names but Quatro Pazzi has franchised with locations in Fairfield, Downtown Stamford, and at a Golf Course in Norwalk:  www.quattropazzi.com
 

Its a vegetarian's dream, great for a crowd, even better for a budget and a perfect edition to a holiday feast.  The original is served with farfalle, in a (HUGE) bowl with little cubes of fresh mozzarella on top, designed to melt and get gooey as you fold it into the hot sauce.  Hard to replicate for a crowd but a bowl of mozz balls on the table or a few in the serving bowl will do the trick.

 

 A bit of prep work pays off with very little cooking time, leaving extra time for the salad, the wine, the table setting, the bread warming and million other things that pop-up 15 mins before the meal goes on the table.

Step 1:  Eggplant

• 2 Large Eggplant, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
• Toss with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar
• Sprinkle of S&P
• Roast at 450 on a foil lined cookie sheet - in a single layer with very little overlap or touch
• Bake till brown on all sides - usually 25 mins, depending on how much is on the pan
• Cover and chill till its time for dinner

Step 2: Sauce

• Defrost OR prepare a basic chunky tomato sauce, with basil and the usual:
• 1 large can diced tomato
• 1 clove diced garlic
• 1 table spoon diced onion or shallot (or both)
• Oregano
• fresh basil, cut into strips
• S&P

Step 3: Roasted Garlic

• Heat 2 table spoons of olive oil in a saucepan, add whole cloves of garlic
• Toast till golden brown, careful not to burn or you'll have to start over
• Remove garlic, chop when cooled and reserve, you'll need it in a few mins

Step 4:  Assemble the feast

• Add diced shallots to hot pan, cook till lightly browned
• Add red pepper flakes, if you don't like heat still add the flakes but use a small amount, it needs a little kick and will blend nicely with the red sauce
• Chop toasted garlic and add to the pan
• Add sauce and simmer for 20 mins
• Add cooked eggplant and lower heat to simmer, do not let boil as the eggplant will break up too much, you want chunks to stay in tact
• Boil water for your favorite pasta - Farfalle is the original but fresh pasta is key with this recipe, once you have it fresh you will not want it from a box. That said, fresh pappardelle or fettuccine, but nothing thinner than fettuccine as the sauce needs something thick to stand up to it
• Reserve some of the cooking liquid once the pasta is al dente
• Drain pasta and toss with a few spoon fulls of sauce, add pasta water if needed to thin it out a bit
• Serve in a large bowl with the remaining sauce in the center
• Place cubes of fresh mozz around the bowl, with some on reserve on the side
• Add strips of fresh basil
• Mangia