Pasta with Eggplant & Guanciale
Ingredients for 2 portions:
100g Guanciale (thinly sliced)
1 Big Eggplant
1tsp Olive Oil
1 Small Onion (finely chopped)
1 Red Bell Pepper (cubed)
300g Ditali Pasta (penne, or fusilli are also good)
1tbsp Fresh Chives (finely chopped)
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Method:
Remove the thick skin from the guanciale and cut it into thin strips. Fry it into a skillet until crispy then transfer it on a paper towel to remove the excess fat. Do not throw away the fat remaining in the skillet. Use it to fry something else such as boiled baby potatoes. It’s delicious!
Wash and cut the eggplant lengthwise. Carefully slice the flesh diagonally to help it cook faster. Drizzle some olive oil on top and bake at 210°c for about 40 minutes. This depends on the size of the eggplant.
When it’s ready, scoop out the flesh and chop it for later use. Reserve the hollow skins.
Cook the pasta ‘al dente’ into a pot of salted water, drain, and place it into a large bowl to cool off.
Fry the onion and the bell pepper in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes or until the onion is soft, then add the chopped eggplant, and peas and season with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the mayonnaise on the pasta followed by the chopped chives, onion/pepper mix and half of the guanciale.
Mix well and season to taste.
Fill the eggplant skins with the mixture, and finish them off with the remaining guanciale and fresh chives.