May's Recipe of the Month -- Sorrento Style Sauce with Fried Eggplant

sorrento style sauce

We made this delicious sauce last week at the Hill Country Casita's and it was absolutely delicious! Chef Daniele's creation reminded me of my trip to the Amalfi Coast a couple years ago. It was light, flavorful, and so easy to make!  Buon Appetito!

 

INGREDIENTS

  • Crushed Italian Tomatoes (canned): 3 lb
  • Eggplants: 3
  • Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano: 8 oz
  • Mozzarella: 1.5 lb
  • Baking soda
  • EVOO: 15 tablespoons
  • Basil: 1 package 
  • Salt to taste
  • Garlic: 3 cloves
  • Frying oil

 PREPARATION

  1. Mince 2/3 of the basil and the garlic cloves.
  2. In a saucepan, gently sautée the minced garlic with EVOO for a couple of minutes.
  3. Add tomatoes, minced basil, salt, a pinch of baking soda (to offset the acidity of the tomatoes), bring the sauce to boil, and cook it on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
  4. Cut the eggplants in thin discs and fry them until light brown. Dab the eggplant discs with paper towels to absorb the excess of oil from them.
  5. Grate the parmigiano cheese and cut the mozzarella in small cubes.
  6. Toss gnocchi or pasta in the sauce, add half of the parmigiano and the mozzarella cubes.
  7. Plate the gnocchi or pasta and top them with the rest of the parmigiano and fresh basil.

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