The preparation of this pasta is really quite simple. The ricotta cheese is the star of this dish. We have prepared two versions, the first one is white and the other one is red with tomato sauce and ricotta cheese that recalls even remotely (Sicilians forgive us) the pasta alla Norma – which usually is prepared with fried eggplant and ‘ricotta salata’ (salted ricotta cheese) very similar to our ricotta marzotica (in this recipe we used the ricotta cheese to give more creaminess to the dish) – but in the Apulian version with the addition of capocollo of Martina Franca and crumbled taralli that gives the dish a crunchy touch. It’s really tasty and delicate, and we recommend you to use spaghetti Benedetto Cavalieri because it can better capture all the toppings.
Ingredients (2 servings)
140 gr of spaghetti Benedetto Cavalieri
4 tablespoons of ricotta cheese
a slice of capicollo of Martina franca, cut into cubes
half eggplant, cut into cubes
salt
extra virgin olive oil
rocket sprouts to decorate
2 taralli, crumbled
Option with the sauce: Same ingredients + chopped onion, basil and 150 grams of tomatoes or tomato sauce (passata)
If you prepare the “red version” begin preparing the sauce. With a tablespoon of oil, saute the onion, add the peeled tomatoes or passata. Cook on low heat until you obtain smashed tomatoes, then pass them through a sieve and put everything on the fire to thicken. Add the basil leaves and turn off.
For both versions: heat the evo oil in a pan, add the diced eggplant (cook for a few minutes) and then the capicollo. Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente.
Once ready, drain it.
For the white version: serve it mixing with the ricotta and add the eggplant and capocollo. Sprinkle with crumbled taralli and decorate with some arugula sprouts.
For the red version: add two tablespoons of cottage cheese to the sauce, stir. Mix the pasta with the sauce, add eggplant, capicollo and crumbled taralli and bagels. Decorated with arugula sprouts.
