Fusilli with Sun-dried tomato pesto, fried eggplant, and pistachio
This is a simple and quick pasta recipe but it will create an explosion of taste! You will feel the taste and scent of the Mediterranean, sensations that will bring your mind back to the travels to southern Italy. And if you have never been there, you will want to go immediately!
WHAT PASTA SHOULD I USE?
It is possible to eat pasta safely and with taste even if you are coeliac, the important thing is to choose the right brand that makes quality pasta. There are many on the market, my advice is to try as many as possible to figure out which one is best for your palate. And once you have identified it, believe me, you will forget that it is gluten-free pasta.
For this recipe, I decided to use Maidea Gluten-Free pasta. An Italian brand that produces artisan-quality gluten-free pasta, drawn through bronze and dried slowly at low temperatures. You can find it here or in many other online and in-store shops in Australia.
I decided to use Fusilli pasta because I believe its shape makes them perfect for retaining the thick consistency of pesto. You can obviously use any other pasta of your choice to try this recipe.
Don’t forget to share your Mediterranean Pasta and tag us #ciaogluten!
SUN-DRIED TOMATOES: THE MAIN INGREDIENT
Imagine being in South Italy during the summer season. Imagine walking around those little lanes and smelling fresh basil coming from the balconies. On the same terraces and balconies, the tomatoes are placed to dry under the sun. And then stored in oil, where they are flavored, developing a strong and salty flavor.
I have used some sun-dried tomatoes bought in an Italian Deli in Brunswick, but any sun-dried tomato jar you will find will be just fine. You can find the simple recipe for the sun-dried tomato pesto here on my blog. Just follow the easy steps and you will be impressed by how easy it is to get an original and full-of-flavor pesto.
I decided to add some fried eggplants and some finely chopped pistachios for a touch more flavor to the pasta.
Finally, to finish any Italian pasta dish worthy of the name, you must add some authentic Parmigiano Reggiano. This type of cheese, if aged for at least 24 months, is lactose-free, so it is safe for celiac and lactose-intolerant people.
HOW TO STORE YOUR PESTO AND ANY PASTA LEFTOVERS
You can store your pasta in the refrigerator in an airtight container for two days. If you have any pesto left over, you can freeze it and then defrost it in the fridge when needed.
Alternatively, you can store your Pesto in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 5 days.
Note: before storing it in the fridge, cover the surface with olive oil!
Buon Appetito!
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Fusilli with Sun-dried tomato pesto, Fried eggplants and Pistachio.
Ingredients
- 500 Grams Fusilli Pasta Gluten Free
- 200 Grams Eggplants
- 250 Grams Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Recipe link in the description
- 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 40 Grams Pistachios
Instructions
- Start with the preparation of Dried Tomato Pesto, find the recipe link in the description.
- Cut the Eggplants into cubes. In a pan, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil and then add the eggplants. Brown them over high heat until they are golden and crispy, it will take about 5 minutes. At this point, turn off the heat and set them aside.
- Take your pistachios and chop them into grains. You can do this using a mixer or simply chopping them finely with a knife.
- Fill up a saucepan with water. Bring it to boil, add salt and pour the pasta in. Take about 150 ml of cooking water and keep it aside. Then drain the pasta two minutes before the cooking time indicated on the package ends.
- In the same saucepan, place your pesto with some of the cooking water, and then add the fusilli previously drained. Stir to mix and, if necessary, add more cooking water, adjusting according to the density of the sauce.
- You can now add the eggplants and a part of the pistachio grains, keeping some to garnish the dish. Cook for another 2 minutes over low heat to prevent the sauce from drying out.
- Your Mediterranean pasta is now ready! Sprinkle it with the remaining chopped pistachios before serving.
