PASTA ALLA NORMA
Why this one?
Of this dish Ottoleghi said " there are just a handful of dishes i'm happy to cook and eat once I get home. This is one of them", with that endorsement how could I not make it. And the reason it featured on this week's meal plan was that we had an aubergine left over, what a shocker.
Find the recipe here...https://instituteofhealthsciences.com/recipe-month-ottolenghis-pasta-alla-norma/
Any substitutes?
We were 1/2 aubergine short and had to use a fresh chilli instead of dried. For some reason I could not get hold of dried chilli's anywhere in Stowmarket.
The actual cooking of the dish
Tonight my husband cooked whilst I was being put through my gruelling paces by my PT sister on a virtual fitness session.
As some of you know my husband is a man of few works and this is his summary of the cooking of the dish "It's one of the simplest things I've ever cooked".
Just as the food was being plated up and my sweaty, tired body was winding down to enjoy the simple pleasures of a bowl full of pasta, a pigeon tumbled and flapped down the chimney into the lounge.
Panic panic panic, I pulled the lounge door shut, my husband and I staring at each other utterly clueless as to what to do. Plans of rigging a contraption to keep the lounge door shut whilst we wait for my dad, an avid countryside fan to finish his dinner and come over for operation pigeon rescue.
Whilst we waited I snuck another glimpse and my heart sank for the little fella, he (maybe a she?) looked so scared, so I decided to be brave and attempt the rescue mission. Armed with a towel and my courage I bravely entered our lounge, gently talking to the bird as a crept closer. Obviously not up there with Doctor Doolittle, the bird freaked and flapped around the room, pictures, flower and candles crashing to the floor, whilst I hid under the towel with the poor floundering bird above me.
Be brave, be brave - you have to complete the mission now, like I am something out of Spooks or James Bond. So I get up, throw the towel over the now stationary bird and grasped it. Opening the front door and releasing it back into the freedom.
My legs were like jelly, a stiff drink and a bowl full of pasta a wonderful tonic.
What I thought
Warming, comforting, simple and delicious. The cooked aubergine flesh melting into the rich, deep tomato sauce. The herbs adding freshness, basil and oregano the perfect companion to tomatoes.
My only comment would be about the skins of the aubergine, in some mouthfuls I enjoyed the slightly tough, burnt skins but in others they felt too much - the texture too different from the silky pasta and sauce.
Difficulty: Easy
Tastiness rating: 9/10
Next time I'd.... perhaps peel the aubergine skins off once cooked and then add the skins as a sprinkling on the top of the dish so there is charcoaly hints but not too much.
Why this one?
Of this dish Ottoleghi said " there are just a handful of dishes i'm happy to cook and eat once I get home. This is one of them", with that endorsement how could I not make it. And the reason it featured on this week's meal plan was that we had an aubergine left over, what a shocker.
Find the recipe here...https://instituteofhealthsciences.com/recipe-month-ottolenghis-pasta-alla-norma/
Any substitutes?
We were 1/2 aubergine short and had to use a fresh chilli instead of dried. For some reason I could not get hold of dried chilli's anywhere in Stowmarket.
The actual cooking of the dish
Tonight my husband cooked whilst I was being put through my gruelling paces by my PT sister on a virtual fitness session.
As some of you know my husband is a man of few works and this is his summary of the cooking of the dish "It's one of the simplest things I've ever cooked".
Just as the food was being plated up and my sweaty, tired body was winding down to enjoy the simple pleasures of a bowl full of pasta, a pigeon tumbled and flapped down the chimney into the lounge.
Panic panic panic, I pulled the lounge door shut, my husband and I staring at each other utterly clueless as to what to do. Plans of rigging a contraption to keep the lounge door shut whilst we wait for my dad, an avid countryside fan to finish his dinner and come over for operation pigeon rescue.
Whilst we waited I snuck another glimpse and my heart sank for the little fella, he (maybe a she?) looked so scared, so I decided to be brave and attempt the rescue mission. Armed with a towel and my courage I bravely entered our lounge, gently talking to the bird as a crept closer. Obviously not up there with Doctor Doolittle, the bird freaked and flapped around the room, pictures, flower and candles crashing to the floor, whilst I hid under the towel with the poor floundering bird above me.
Be brave, be brave - you have to complete the mission now, like I am something out of Spooks or James Bond. So I get up, throw the towel over the now stationary bird and grasped it. Opening the front door and releasing it back into the freedom.
My legs were like jelly, a stiff drink and a bowl full of pasta a wonderful tonic.
What I thought
Warming, comforting, simple and delicious. The cooked aubergine flesh melting into the rich, deep tomato sauce. The herbs adding freshness, basil and oregano the perfect companion to tomatoes.
My only comment would be about the skins of the aubergine, in some mouthfuls I enjoyed the slightly tough, burnt skins but in others they felt too much - the texture too different from the silky pasta and sauce.
Difficulty: Easy
Tastiness rating: 9/10
Next time I'd.... perhaps peel the aubergine skins off once cooked and then add the skins as a sprinkling on the top of the dish so there is charcoaly hints but not too much.
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