Rainy Day Rigatoni
When you don’t have to commute, leave the house, or so much as put on a bra, rainy days are beautiful things. Don’t mean to rub it in. It’s not like I’m home drinking scotch, doing sit-ups and channeling Madonna. Totally not. Besides, non-freelancers have things like dental insurance and…interaction with human beings. Moving on. Our favorite ritual on these happy, frizzy-haired, days is something we call, “Rainy Day Rigatoni.” It’s the meal we make when it rains in Greece. I found it in I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, a book I plug so much, you’d think it’s all I own. Ok, maybe I do need to get out more.
This is officially called: Lachlan’s Rigatoni w/ Eggplant
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
pinch hot pepper flakes
I large eggplant cut into 1/2” cubes
1 large (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon sugar (eggplant is acidic!)
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound rigatoni
1 cup basil leaves, torn
grated parmigiano
Delicious hot or cold.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add onion and red pepper and sauté until the onion is almost translucent, add the eggplant and one teaspoon of salt and cook for twenty minutes allowing it to get a little brown, then add tomatoes, wine, sugar and the remaining salt, cook for 50-60 minutes, until the eggplant is very soft.
Cook rigatoni according to package directions. When the pasta is drained add it to the skillet with the eggplant if it fits, otherwise, return it to the pasta pot, add a few ladlefuls of sauce, a dash of olive oil, and the torn basil leaves. Ladle into bowls garnished with a dollop of extra sauce and a few basil leaves.
