These mezze maniche pasta with eggplant and salted ricotta, a quick and easy recipe, wink at the more complex “pasta alla norma” of Sicilian tradition. We pair it with Galluccio Bianco Petratonda 2023 Porto di Mola.
It is a dish that can be very tasty either hot or at room temperature in a quick lunch when the weather is warmer.
Ingredients for 4 persons:
360 g mezze maniche rigate pasta, 4 round purple eggplants, 4 peeled tomatoes, 200 g semi-seasoned ricotta salata, 1 clove of red garlic from Sulmona, evo oil and salt to taste
Procedure:
In a large frying pan with three tablespoons of evo oil, sauté the garlic clove deprived of the inner bud. As soon as it is browned, pour in the diced eggplant and tomatoes previously mashed with a fork. Allow to cook over high heat, and halfway through cooking, adjust the salt.
Boil the mezze maniche, drain them, pour them into the pan with the eggplant and toss thoroughly.
Serve in preheated flat plates and scatter coarsely grated salted ricotta on top.
Wine pairing:
(Edited by Stefania Vinciguerra)
Galluccio Bianco Petratonda 2023 Porto di Mola
Bright straw yellow. Intense, ripe bouquet, with notes of fruit such as yellow plum and apricot, wild flowers and light memories of bakery. Full-bodied on the palate, combining freshness with a certain softness that comes from aging on yeasts. Saline finish of good length.
Production area: Galluccio (CE), on the slopes of the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina, La Contessa vineyard. Volcanic soil with a good concentration of mineral salts and micro elements.
Grape varieties: 100% Falanghina, average age of vines 20 years. Guyot/spurred cordon training system. Yield 80 ql/ha.
Harvest: Hand-picked in 15 kg crates, late in October.
Production processes: Vinification in temperature-controlled steel vats after a brief soaking on the skins in a reduced environment. Aging on lees in steel for 8 months, minimum 4 months in bottle.
Alcohol content: 14% vol.
Serving temperature: 10-12°C.
Recommended pairings: wine for the whole meal, accompanies first courses, soups, fish cuisine in general, cold dishes, buffalo mozzarella and fresh cheeses. Also ideal as an aperitif.
