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| PASTA WITH RAPID RATATOUILLE SAUCE |
by Sam GuginoWINE RECOMMENDATION: The mélange of vegetable flavors in the Pasta with Rapid Ratatouille Sauce and the touches of basil and garlic call for a medium-bodied red wine with a little spice of its own, like Chianti, or a Sangiovese (the grape variety native to the Chianti region of Italy and now also grown in the U.S.). White wine lovers will find a crisp Sauvignon Blanc a fine match for these flavors. INGREDIENTS: 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, about 8 ounces 3 cloves garlic 1 green bell pepper 10 to 12 ounces eggplant (about 2 Japanese or baby eggplants) 2 small to medium zucchini, 10 to 12 ounces Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes 2 teaspoons salt plus more to taste 12 ounces dried capellini (angel hair) or any fresh unstuffed pasta 20 large basil leaves 1/2 cup pitted black oil-cured olives Freshly ground black pepper Red pepper flakes to taste Grated Parmesan passed at the table DIRECTIONS: 1) Run the hot-water tap and put 2 quarts hot tap water in each of 2 pots (one large enough to eventually hold all the water and pasta). Cover and bring both pots to a boil over high heat, 8 to 10 minutes. 2) Meanwhile, put a 12-inch sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Peel the garlic. Drop the garlic down the chute of a food processor with the motor running to finely chop. Stop the motor, then peel and quarter the onion. Add the onion to the food processor. Pulse just until chopped. (Or chop by hand.) Add the oil to the sauté pan and increase the heat to high. Add the garlic and onion and stir. 3) Cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch cubes. (Do not peel.) Add to the sauté pan and stir. Cut the top from the bell pepper. Stand it upright and cut down inside the four walls, separating the walls from the center core and seeds. Then cut the walls and top into thin strips. Add to the sauté pan and stir. Trim the ends of the zucchini. Cut into quarters, lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/2-inch wide pieces. Add to the sauté pan and stir. Open the cans of tomatoes and add to the sauté pan. Stir and cover. 4) As soon as the pasta water boils, pour the water from the smaller pot into the larger pot. Add 2 teaspoons salt and the pasta. Stir well, cover, and return to a boil. Stir well again, partially cover, and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring at least one more time, or until the pasta is done to your taste. 5) While the pasta cooks, stack the basil leaves, roll in cigar fashion, and cut crosswise into thin ribbons. Coarsely chop the olives. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the basil, the olives, and salt, black pepper, and hot pepper flakes to taste to the sauté pan. Lower the heat to medium, stir well and cook, uncovered, until the pasta is done. 6) When the pasta is cooked, drain, and divide among 4 individual soup plates or pasta bowls. Spoon the ratatouille sauce over each and sprinkle with the remaining chopped basil. Serve with grated Parmesan at the table. Serves 4 NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING: Calories: 460 Fat: 15 g Saturated Fat: 1.5 g Sodium: 1940 mg Protein: 14 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Carbohydrate: 67 g Source: Sam Gugino, author of Cooking to Beat the Clock - Delicious, Inspired Meals in 15 Minutes Courtesy of wineanswers.com.  Recommended ReadingCooking to Beat the Clock : Inspired Meals in 15 Minutes by Sam Gugino Sure, you can cook up pasta in no time and whip up an omelet in a flash, but Sam Gugino insists you can also make sophisticated dishes, such as Duck Breast on Baby Vegetables, spending only 15 minutes in the kitchen to prepare them. Besides 60 recipes, he offers a strategy to help you quickly produce original, satisfying meals from scratch--and he doesn't mean a quick stir-fry! To prove his point, he offers recipes for a jambalaya studded with shrimp and hot sausage; a chicken curry with coconut milk; and Steak Diane, elegantly sauced with flambéed cognac and melted butter. Flavor, organization, focus, and creativity make this possible. For flavor, you need a pantry and freezer stocked with such staples as aromatic basmati rice and intense, sweet-tasting balsamic vinegar. Organization requires the right equipment, starting with a 12-inch, nonstick skillet. Focus means no radio or TV. Creativity means the ability to make substitutions--to save on a trip to the store. (courtesy: Amazon) |
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About the Author: Besides contributing to wineanswers.com, Sam Gugino is the author of Cooking to Beat the Clock - Delicious, Inspired Meals in 15 Minutes and an award-winning and critically acclaimed journalist and author on the subject of food and wine. A former restaurateur, Gugino has served as the restaurant critic at the Philadelphia Daily News and the food editor at the San Jose Mercury News. Sam frequently appears on television and radio food shows, and he currently writes the "Tastes" column for Wine Spectator magazine. You can ask Sam additional questions by going to his web site, www.samcooks.com |
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