Penne all'amatriciana
This is another delicious and fairly simple recipe from our local green-grocier, who is from Apulia, in southeastern Italy. Apparently there is some discussion among experts as to what constitutes a veritable pasta all'amatriciana, as explained, e.g., in the New York Times. This version is quite different from both of theirs, including onions, as in the Roman recipe, but also eggplant, which isn't mentioned there at all.
In any case, it's delicious. You can do it with penne or spaghetti or, probably, whatever pasta you like best. As usual, this recipe is for two people, both moderate eaters.
| quantity | ingredient | instruction |
| 1 | eggplant | Peel, cut into 1-cm cubes and salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to sweat, then dry carefully with paper towels. |
| 4-8 Tbsp | oil | I used a mixture of olive oil and ordinary oil. Heat oil in pan, then sauter the eggplant cubes until done, but not too. I overdid them the first time, they probably only need a few minutes. Set aside to keep warm. |
| as much as you eat, 125 grams for the 2 of us | penne or spaghetti (or whatever pasta you prefer) | Cook in parallel to next steps. |
| 1 | medium onion | Mince and fry in until almost transparent. |
| 1-2 | garlic cloves, minced | Add to onions and cook until garlic smells good, not more than 30 secs. |
| several slices | pancetta or coppa | Add to onions. |
| 3-4 Tbsp | tomato sauce | Add and heat, stirring. Probably peeled and cored tomatoes are better, but they are also a lot more work and this was delicious. |
| Add the eggplant to sauce and re-warm, stirring carefully. Serve as sauce alongside the pasta. |
Don't forget the grated Parmesan cheese. Bon appetit!