FOODIE WEEKEND - Bucatini with melanzane and olives

Hello, everybody.  Another weekend here in my Foodie Weekend! 

Well, as many know (or not) I am married to an Italian and naturally pasta dishes are very popular in our household.  One of the recipes we cook at home is this one with melanzane (eggplants) and olive.  Now, I cannot stand eggplant.  There is something about the taste that I just cannot agree with but I do love olives especially the green variety.  Instead Captain loves eggplant and for him I honor this recipe once in a while.  This recipe originally calls for salciccia or italian sausage but since it is not something that is easy to find here in Dubai, I substitute it with minced beef instead.  

I also use another type of pasta called bucatini for this recipe.  Bucatini is basically a thicker spaghetti with tiny hole running through it and I normally use it with meat sauce or other heavy type of sauces.  If it is not possible for you to find bucatini in your supermarket, another type of pasta like spaghetti would do just fine. 

So without further ado, I share here with you the recipe and all the best in trying!

Bucatini with Melanzane and Olive

Ingredients (serves 4)

500 gm of bucatini pasta (or any other pasta would do)

2 small eggplants, sliced

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 medium onion diced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

250 gm of minced beef (or better still salciccia, sliced)

1 can of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice

1/2 cup of red wine (optional)

1/2 cup of pitted olives of your choice

2 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Some grated parmesan 

Method

Sliced the eggplants and dribble some extra virgin olive oil.  Mix to coat every slice.

Arrange them in  a pan and oven roast for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a pot of boil salted water, throw in the bucatini or pasta of your choice and set the 

cooking time suggested for al dente.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat extra virgin olive oil and add in the onion. Cook until transparent.

Add in the garlic and cook some more for another couple of minutes.

Add in the minced beef or salciccia and the basil, cook until the beef is well browned.

Add in the tomatoes, wine, salt and pepper, cook for another 5 minutes.

Finally add in the olives, eggplants and parsley

Add in the pasta/bucatini and toss well

Sprinkle some parmesan just before serving.

Buon apetito!