Cavatelli with Eggplant, Arugula, Olives, Pine Nuts and Pecorino Cheese

Ingredients (4 people):

Cavatelli or other kind of short pasta 1 lb.

1 medium eggplant

Arugula

Pine nuts 1 tbsp.

Black pitted olives 12-15

Grated pecorino cheese 1 tbsp.

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

1 garlic clove

Wash and cut the eggplant lengthwise, in ½ inch thick slices, then cut the slices in small cubes. To do things by the book, before cooking the eggplants you should sprinkle them with abundant salt and put them in a colander with a plate on top to press the eggplant. This way they will release the juice that sometimes give them a bitter taste. To tell the truth, I never do this whole process and I usually cook the eggplant right away. I haven’t had any problem and I like the taste anyway. Fry the eggplant cubes in abundant olive oil. The olive oil is perfect to fry eggplants because it has a high smoke point and also because eggplants absorb a lot of oil and it is important to use oil with a good and delicate taste. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: it’s not exactly a law-fat recipe! It is also important to put the cubes in the pan when the oil is very hot and to use abundant oil. Abundant oil will tend to keep a high temperature when you put the eggplants which will form a nice crust limiting the amount of oil absorbed. If you don’t have much oil, cook the eggplant cubes in two or three rounds. Once brown, drain the cubes and let them rest on kitchen paper, without covering them, to release part of the oil. Add a pinch of salt.

Once you’ve cooked the eggplant you are more or less done with the recipe. Wash and dry the arugula and set it aside. Bring abundant water to a boil in a large pot, add salt and the pasta, stir immediately and then once every 3-4 minutes until cooked. Check the cooking time on the box but also taste it a couple of times. After you add the past to the water, sauté the garlic with the pine nuts and olives in olive oil for a couple of minutes in a large skillet. 

Drain the pasta setting aside about one cup of its boiling water. Transfer the pasta in the skillet and add the arugula and the eggplant cubes. Mix well, adding some of the water that you set aside, and additional olive oil if needed. When all the ingredients are well mixed add the pecorino cheese and some freshly ground pepper.

My Grandma's Apple Cake

I inherited this recipe from my grandmother. She made it for my two sisters and me because it is a delicious low-fat and healthy cake (she didn’t know that we ate it all in a couple of hours – and it was big!). The other thing I inherited from her is the recipe of the crème caramel, that she called “latte alla portoghese”, milk the Portuguese way (to be posted here soon) -- for some reason, she only made that one in a small portion, for my grandfather’s exclusive delight. I remember that when I visited them, almost everyday in the summer when I was a child, I used to look at that special pot, my mouth watering. But I’d soon forget about it when I was offered a sugar cube and a few cookies or a slice of the marvelous apple cake!

160 gr (0.35 lb) unbleached all-purpose flour

150 gr (0.33 lb) sugar

2 eggs (separate the yolk from the white)

½ pack (one small teaspoon) of yeast

Water

1 pinch of salt 

Grated lemon zest

5 medium to big apples

½ lemon (to be squeezed)

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup raisins

½ cup chopped hazelnuts

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp powdered sugar

Pass the flour through a sieve. In a large bowl combine sugar, flour, the egg yolks (set aside the egg whites), lemon zest and salt with a mixer adding gradually about ½ cup of water. The exact amount of water needed depends on how big the eggs are and how dry is the flour. The mixture is supposed to be quite thick, but well blended. 

Add the cinnamon and the yeast and mix.

Peel and cut the apples in small pieces and add one tablespoon of brown sugar. Pour the lemon juice on the apples and toss in the pine nuts, raisins and hazelnuts.

In a small bowl beat the egg whites until stiff. Egg whites should be beaten when they are at room temperature, adding a pinch of salt. The bowl and beaters should be perfectly clean and dry. If there is a little water or oil residue in the bowl or a little hint of yolk in the whites, it will interfere seriously with the formation of air bubbles.

Slowly incorporate the egg whites into the mixture, folding about ¼ of beaten egg whites into the mixture with a flexible spatula, stirring normally. This will lighten the mixture. Then pour in the remaining beaten egg whites and fold in gently with a vertical movement (instead of round and round), with the bowl tipped on its side.

Add the chopped apples to the mixture and pour into a 10-inch round baking pan. 

Bake in a pre-heated oven to 350ºF (180ºC) for 45-60 minutes. Pull out of the oven and let the cake cool off. Just a few minutes before serving cover with sifted powdered sugar.