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copyright ©1999-2006
DigsMagazine.com.
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old
thyme
delights
culinary classics for all
by Kiera Tara O'Brien | 1
2 3
4 5
6 7
continued from page 6
the veggies-only household
(cont.)
baked rigatoni with eggplant, thyme and
garlic sauce
1 large eggplant, roughly 2 lbs
8 ounces rigatoni
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
crushed leaves from 3 springs of fresh thyme (or 2 pinches of dried
thyme)
½ head of garlic, minced
2 cups milk
1 pinch nutmeg
2 Tbsp chopped basil (or 1 tsp dried basil)
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt
1 pinch black pepper
serves 4
1 Preheat your
oven to 375 F or 190C.
2 Wash the
eggplant and slice into ½-inch thick rounds, then into strips and
finally cubes. Place these in a colander and toss with the salt. Set
aside.
3 Combine the
minced or crushed garlic with the milk, nutmeg, basil, bay leaf and
thyme in a small sauce pan on low heat.
4 In another
sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook for several
minutes on low heat, then whisk in the milk and herb mixture with the
salt. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add half of the parmesan
cheese and stir.
5 Boil the
rigatoni pasta to desired softness.
6 Retrieve the
eggplant, rinse and pat it dry. Heat the oil in a skillet and toss the
eggplant in. Cook on a medium heat for 15-20 minutes, tossing often,
until lightly browned. Add a pinch of salt and pepper over the top.
7 Lightly
butter or oil an 8"x10" baking dish. Mix the pasta with two-thirds of
the sauce and the eggplant pieces and set in the dish. Add the rest of
the sauce over the top and sprinkle the rest of the cheese to make a
crust.
8 Bake for 25
minutes, or until the ‘crust’ is bubbly and golden brown. Wait a few
minutes before serving.
For an official dinner party, dress the dish up with
fresh thyme sprigs laid on top, a leafy green salad and a side of crusty
french bread, brushed with butter and crushed fresh garlic, and toasted
under the broiler or in a toaster oven for 5 minutes.
o
Kiera Tara O'Brien
loves to munch the finest cuisine
while pursuing her publishing and freelance writing career. About to
migrate from Oslo to London, her former abodes include San Diego,
Australia and Chile. She loves old movies, Louis Armstrong's 'La Vie en
Rose' and chocolate chip scones from a proper British bakery. Pop a
question or drop a comment to
kiera.tara@gmail.com.
--------------------------->
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