Penne with Eggplant Sauce

Penne with eggplant sauce... Well a friend had recommended this combination a few months ago. I wasn't sure whether to appreciate it or dismiss the thought of trying it,  until the other day eggplants, green pepper and tomatoes were the only vegetables I had at hand to prepare dinner with. A little search on the net showed that the combo is Mediterranean... so I tried since I love everything from that part of the world.... and wow... what a flavorful dish it turned out to be.

Husband however was not overly excited about it. He thought Chinese eggplants would have made the sauce tastier. Perhaps it would. But after fretting for months about the lack of variety, I have finally learnt to live and be happy with the local and seasonal produce. So the sauce as it was tasted lovely to me.....

Dressy Pasta Risotto # French Fridays with Dorie

This week the Doristas  were assigned to make Dressy Pasta "Risotto." With ingredients like cream and mascarpone cheese, nothing could really go wrong with this dish. It turned out exactly the way I had imagined it, dressy, creamy and gorgeous. 

What I liked best about this preparation was the fact that it is a one-pot-pasta. 

Contrary to most pasta preparations, the pasta does not have to be cooked separately. It is cooked in chicken broth in the same pan in which the onions have been sauteed.. much like a risotto.. and finally finished off  with a stir of heavy cream and a dressing of Parmesan and Mascarpone cheese. I added a handful of peas into the pan just to brighten up the dish and had half a mind to add some precooked bacon too.. But I am glad I didn't .. for the pasta was perfect by itself.  

I served it with some sauteed mushrooms and chicken... and thought they paired up well.. but had I been lunching alone I wouldn't have bothered for a side. I liked it just as it was... 

Visit French Fridays with Dorie to know what the other members thought about the pasta.

You can find a version of the recipe here . For Dorie's original recipe and more such delicious ones order your copies of Around the French Table from Amazon or from The Book Depository and join us as we cook our way through the book.  

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Greek Inspired Meatless Monday : Pasta with Yogurt and Mushroom-Fenegreek Fritters

Pasta with yogurt is what we had for dinner last night. and we LOVED it. it was so delicious and went so well with the mushroom-fenugreek fritters that i had made to go with it. both the preparations were inspired by Greek recipes from the book The Glorious Foods of Greece ~ Diane Kochilas that i had picked up from the local library last Saturday. The recipes that inspired our meal were

Pasta with Yogurt and Caramelized Onions from Kassos  & 

Wild Mushroom Fritters Seasoned with Cumin from Masari in Rhodes.

Just to adapt to our food habits I slightly modified both the recipes and the result was DELICIOUS. I had ever imagined that i'll sing such praise for a  non-cheesy pasta-dish. but this one was so good that i had to share...