Recipe Friday

With my newest series of televised cooking segments, Open Kitchen, now airing on WAGM-TV8 on Thursday evenings (at 5:30), I think it makes sense to shift Recipe Monday to Friday. That way you can quickly print out this recipe on Friday morning, and take it with you in preparation for a bit of weekend entertaining.

PENNE with SCALLOPS, EGGPLANT, and TOMATO

Eggplants are rather like tofu, I should say – a little tasteless, a little spongy, and overall kind of boring. But considering the health benefits of the lowly eggplant, one cannot help but feel somewhat obligated to include them occasionally in a balanced diet. After all, eggplants are an excellent source of folic acid, potassium, and may even help block the formation of free radicals in the body. (Free radicals, of course, being those unique particles that play an important role in certain biological processes, all the while damaging certain other biological processes causing diseases, mutations, and eventual death. Talk about being two-faced...) Fortunately for us, eggplants have a tendency to absorb basically any flavor you pair with them, making it all the easier to hide the boring fruits in whatever you happen to be cooking. In this recipe, the eggplant is flavored with red pepper flakes, garlic, and basil. It is then simmered until it falls apart into a smooth sauce and served with fresh scallops over a mound of pasta.

Serves 4

¼	cup olive oil
¼	teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1	medium eggplant, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1	yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
4	cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1	28-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed
1	pound penne or other short pasta
	Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1	pound bay scallops, patted dry
¼	cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
¼	cup heavy cream
8	ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into ½-inch cubes
¼	cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
½	cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

1. Combine the olive oil and red pepper flakes in a large saucepan. Set over medium heat and cook until the pepper flakes begin to sizzle. Add the eggplant and stir well to coat in the oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the eggplant begins to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Then, add the onion and garlic. Once the onion and garlic have browned slightly, pour in the canned tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 15 to 20 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, following the package instructions, cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and return to the pot.

3.  Add the bay scallops to the eggplant and tomato sauce. Simmer, stirring often, until the scallops have cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.

4. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the olives and heavy cream. Pour the sauce over the prepared pasta. Toss in the mozzarella and basil leaves, allowing the cheese to melt into the pasta. Then, top with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.