This recipe is a play on Pasta alla Norma, which traditionally has deep-fried eggplant chunks and gooey, fresh mozzarella. To make a more summer-y version, we are grilling the eggplant and using ciliegine (tiny balls of mozzarella) with sweet ripe cherry tomatoes. I like to make this with fresh rigatoni or paccheri, a short, tubular noodle. You can find fresh Martha’s Vineyard Pasta paccheri at the farmers’ market, Edgartown Meat & Fish Market, North Tisbury Farm & Market, and the Chilmark General Store. You could substitute for a store-bought version too. If you use dried rigatoni, follow the package instructions to cook it until just tender, or “al dente.”
Serves 4
• Neutral high-heat oil (such as vegetable oil) for oiling grill grates
• 2 medium globe eggplants (or 2 large Italian eggplants), cut into 1-inch-
thick slabs
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 12 ounces fresh rigatoni or paccheri
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 12 ounces cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella ciliegine, drained and cut in half
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
1. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Carefully oil the grill grates. Season eggplant slabs on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill eggplant slabs until they have dark grill marks on one side, 4 to 6 minutes. Use tongs to flip slabs and grill until tender and well-marked on second side, 4 to 8 minutes longer. Transfer eggplant to a cutting board and let cool. Turn off grill. Once cooled enough to handle, cut grilled eggplant into 1-inch pieces.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add fresh pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta.
3. Heat oil in a large high-walled skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and a ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes just start to break down, 2 to 4 minutes.
4. Stir in pasta and some of the reserved cooking water (just add a couple tablespoons at a time) until mixture looks saucy and coats noodles. Add grilled eggplant and stir to combine and heat through. Off heat, stir in ciliegine and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
