How many ways can we prepare, cook eggplants??? I have absolutely no ideas, there is already a bunch of recipes that come to my mind (melanzane alla parmiggiana, eggplants caviar, eggplants and coconuts milk, eggplants and pasta, eggplants jam….). It is one of the vegetable that I buy almost everyweek, and I barely take the time to try those many different recipes. One of the last ones was a eggplants confit with coconut milk…really really really good. I tried too the eggplants soup not so long ago and I was amazingly surprised as A. This is really good and in particular I appreciated the soft consistency and taste of cooked eggplants. I did it again trying to remember how it was the first time. I might not have put some cheese this time (philadelphia) and it came out good as weel maybe even lighter. Just a spoon of grated parmesan in the bowl…

Soupe d’aubergines

4 personnes:

• 4 aubergines
• 1.5 litre de bouillon de poule chaud
• 3 échalotes
• 150 g de pignons de pin
• huile d’olive
• Sel et poivre du moulin
• Coriandre fraiche

1. Dans un fait-tout faire revenir les échalotes épluchées et émincées dans de l’huile d’olive
2. Laver et lever la peau des aubergines. Les couper en petits dés
3. Ajouter les aubergines dans le fait-tout. Rajouter éventuellement un peu d’huile d’olive et les faire revenir 5 minutes.
4. Couvrir de bouillon les aubergines et laisser cuire une demie-heure
5. Y ajouter la moitié des pignons de pin et mixer.
6. Ajouter des feuilles de coriandre fraiches et ciselées, crème fraiche (ou mascarpone), les pignons grillés restants et du parmesan rapé (facultatif) et servir chaud.

Zuppa di melanzane

4 pers.:

• 4 melanzane
• 1.5 l. brodo di pollo
• 3 scalogni
• 150 g pinoli
• olio d’oliva
• sale & pepe
• coriandolo fresco

1. In una pentola fare dorare i scalogni pelati e tagliati a fette sottili in olio d’oliva
2. Lavare e sbucciare le melanzane. Tagliare a pezzettini.
3. Aggiungere le melanzane ai scalogni (forse raggiungere un po’ d’olio) e lasciare dorare per circa 5 minuti.
4. Aggiungere il brodo alle melanzane (devono essere coperte di brodo). Cuocere per un mezzoretta.
5. Aggiungere la metà dei pinoli e frullare.
6. Aggiungere il coriandolo tagliato a pezzettini, panna acida (o mascarpone), parmiggiano grattugiato, pinoli e servire caldo.

Eggplants soup

3-4 serv.:

• 4 eggplants
• 1.5 l fowl stock
• 3 shallots
• 150 g pine nuts
• olive oil
• salt & peper
• fresh coriander

1. In a stewpot brown the sliced shallots in olive oil.
2. Wash and peel the eggplants. Cut them in dices.
3. Add the eggplants to the shallots. Brown them for about 5 mn (you might have to add some olive oil too).
4. Add the stock to the eggplants (they have to be covered by the stock). Cook for about half an hour.
5. Add finally half of the pine nuts and mix.
6. Serve with sliced fresh cordiander, toasted pine nuts, sour cream (or mascarpone) and gratted parmesan.

I adapted this recipe from another one that was simply eggplants with fresh cream and pine nuts. In the orginal one the eggplants were sliced and boiled. It was quite good but I was not thta convinced and though about that recipe to go with pasta. Actually it turned out that everybody just loved it!

Pasta with eggplants and pine nuts

• 500 g of eggplant flesh (5-6 eggplants)
• 100 ml of liquid fresh cream
• 150 g of gratted parmesan
• 70 g of pine nut
• olive oil

1. The night before, warm up the oven at 180°C. Wash and cut in half the eggplants. With a knife stripe the eggplants and pour olive oil. Dispose them on a plate and put in the oven. Let them cook until the flesh starts to get dark. Take out from the oven and let them cool down. With a table spoon remove the flesh and put it in a colander. Let it drain until the day after.
2. The day after warm up a little the egglplants flesh. Put it in a bowl of a mixer with all the other ingredients. Mix for 2-3 minutes.
3. Serve with fusilli pasta with some pine nuts and gratted parmesan

Pâtes aux aubergines et pignons

• 500 g de chair d’aubergines (5 à 6 aubergines)
• 100 ml de crème fraiche
• 150 g de parmesan fraichement râpé
• 70 g de pignons de pin
• huile d’olives

1. La veille au soir, préchauffer le four à 180°C. Laver les aubergines et les couper en 2 dans le sens de la longueur. Avec la pointe d’un couteau tailler un peu dans chair. Mettre les aubergines sur une plaque allant au four recouverte de papier cuisson. Verser un filet d’huile d’olive sur aubergines et enfourner. Laisser cuire jusqu’à ce que le chair commence à noircir. Retirer du four et laisser refroidir. Récupérer la chair avec une cuillère et la mettre dans une passoire. Laisser égoutter jusqu’au lendemain.
2. Le lendemain réchauffer rapidement les aubergines. La placer dans le bol d’un mixeur avec les autres ingrédients et mixer pendant 2 minutes.
3. Servir aussitôt  avec des fusilli quelques pignons de pin et un peu de parmesan râpé.

Fusilli alle melanzane e pinoli

• 500 g polpa di melanzane (o 5-6 melanzane)
• 100 ml panna liquida
• 150 g parmigiano grattugiato
• 70 g pinoli
• olio d’oliva

1. Il giorno prima, accendere il forno a 180°C e preparare le melanzane. Tagliarle in due per la lunghezza. Con un coltello incidere la polpa e versare un po’ d’olio d’oliva. Mettere nel forno fino a che la polpa comincia a diventare scura. Togliere dal forno, lasciare raffredare. Poi con un cucchiaio levare la polpa e metterla in uno scolapasta e lasciare scolare fino all’indomani.
2. Il giorno successivo riscaldare leggermente la polpa e metterla nel frullatore con gli altri ingredienti. Frullare per circa 2 minuti.
3. Servire con i fusilli (cotti al dente), un po’ di pinoli interi e di parmigiano grattugiato.