{Picture Perfect} Online Digital Photography Classes and a family favorite recipe

If you’ve been trying to decide whether or not to join us this session, you only have 3 days left to decide!!! :)  You CAN learn how to use yor camera and take better pictures in this 6 week, low stress, flexible and fun class.  Class starts Saturday.  Only 2 spots left!!  You can register and find more information here:

{Picture Perfect} Class Info and Registration

And, just because I have a hard time posting without a picture, I thought I’d share one of our favorite recipes.  If you don’t have Tyler’s Ultimate Cookbook, I HIGHLY recommend it.  I make more stuff out of that book than probably any other and my kids scarf it down!!  Here’s one of our favorites that I made last night…bon apetite!

Tyler’s Ultimate Rustic Rigatoni, Sausage and Eggplant (we don’t like eggplant so I omit it!);)

 

rigatoni 1 web

rigatoni collage

Ingredients

  • Kosher Salt
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 links fennel pork sausage (about 3/4 pound)
  • 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 large can (28 ounces) peeled whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
  • Leaves from 1 small bunch basil
  • 1 pound rigatoni
  • 1 pound fresh mozzarella
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta. Get yourself a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

Heat a 2 count of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and toss in the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes, you want them nicely browned on the outside but still rare on the inside. Put the sausages in the baking dish.

Turn the heat down to medium. Add a generous 1/3 cup of oil to the skillet and get it hot. Add as many eggplant pieces as you can comfortably fit in a single layer and sprinkle well with salt. Cook, turning, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the eggplant is nice and browned, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Use a spatula to put the eggplant into the baking dish with the sausage. Cook the rest of the eggplant pieces, adding more oil to the pan, as needed, and putting the finished eggplant into the baking dish.

Add another 2 count of oil to the skillet, then your onion and garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Dump the whole can of tomatoes and their juices into a bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands to break them up; add that to the pan with the basil and cook it down until pulpy and relatively thick. This will take about 15 minutes.

By this time your pasta water will be boiling. Add the rigatoni, give it a stir, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, it should be slightly firm as it will cook further in the oven. Ladle out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve; the drain the rigatoni.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Chop the sausages into nice big, bite-size chunky pieces and return the pieces to the baking dish. Add the tomato sauce, rigatoni, and the reserved pasta water. Break up half the mozzarella over the mixture, season with salt and pepper, and gently mix with your hands or a spatula. Dust with the Parmigiano and drizzle with more olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Spread the remaining mozzarella in an even layer over the top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

 

rigatoni 4 web

Yum!!  Have a great day!
-t

Share
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Shannon Ashton - April 29, 2010 - 4:31 am

Photography and food. Two of my favourite things! Actually three if you add in Italian food! And seriously photos of food are the best! Love it!

Jodie - April 28, 2010 - 4:05 pm

ooh, I’m trying this. I love Tyler’s Ultimate. I’ll keep the eggplant in for John. :)

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

*

*

There was an error submitting your comment. Please try again.

I N F O
P i n k   P e p p e r m i n t   P r i n t s