Half Sleeves with Eggplant and Smoked Scamorza Cheese

Half sleeves with eggplant and smoked scamorza cheese are a rich and tasty first course, perfect for a dinner with friends or a family lunch. Here is the Italian recipe to prepare this delicious dish.

Ingredients

• 320 g of half sleeves (or another short pasta shape of your liking)
• 2 medium eggplants
• 200 g of smoked scamorza cheese
• 400 g of peeled tomatoes (or tomato puree)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• A bunch of fresh basil
• Extra virgin olive oil as needed
• Salt and pepper as needed

Preparation

1. Start by washing the eggplants, remove the ends, and cut them into cubes. Place them in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and let them rest for about 30 minutes to lose their bitterness.
2. Afterward, rinse the eggplants under running water and dry them with a clean cloth.
3. In a large pan, heat a drizzle of oil and add the garlic cloves to flavor the oil. When the garlic is golden, remove it and add the eggplant cubes. Fry until they become golden and soft.
4. Add the peeled tomatoes by crushing them with a fork, or directly use the tomato puree. Salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce cook for about 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
5. While the sauce is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the half sleeves according to the package instructions to achieve al dente pasta.
6. Cut the smoked scamorza cheese into cubes and add it to the eggplant sauce a couple of minutes before turning off the heat so that it starts to melt slightly.
7. Drain the al dente pasta, preserving some cooking water, and transfer it to the pan with the eggplant and scamorza sauce.
8. Toss the pasta with the sauce over low heat, adding some of the cooking water if necessary to make the sauce creamier.
9. Add hand-torn basil leaves and mix gently. Serve immediately.

Curiosities

Eggplants are widely used in Mediterranean cuisine and are the stars of many traditional Italian recipes, such as the famous Eggplant Parmigiana. Pairing them with smoked scamorza cheese gives the dish a more intense flavor and a stringy texture, typical combinations of homemade Italian cooking.