SCHIAFFONI ALLA NORMA

INGREDIENTS

Stuffed Paccheri

• 80ml EVO oil

• 600g cubed eggplant

• 12g chopped garlic

• 90ml white wine

• 280g cherry tomatoes, quartered

• 100g salted ricotta, cut into cubes

• 40g grated parmesan cheese

• 10g fresh basil, sliced

• 1g dry oregano

• 24pcs dry paccheri

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• 200g bread crumbs

Tomato Sauce

• 600g peeled tomato

• 30g EVO oil

• 40g chopped white onion

• 4g chopped garlic

• 4g fresh basil, sliced

Salted Ricotta Cream

• 150g salted ricotta

• 75g cream

• Salt and black pepper to taste

Crispy Eggplant Decoration

• 1pc eggplant

• 100g semolina

• 100g all-purpose flour

• Salt and black pepper to taste

• 1l frying oil

METHOD

1. To make the stuffed paccheri, boil a full pot of water with 10g of salt for every litre. Blanch the paccheri in boiling water for 14 minutes, drain the paccheri, drizzle with EVO oil and allow a slight cooldown.

In a pan, fry garlic and eggplant for two minutes, deglaze with white wine, add a bit of water, add cherry tomatoes, basil and oregano and cook for one more minute. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. When cooled, add parmesan, salted ricotta, salt and black pepper and mix in a piping bag. Put breadcrumbs in a small tray, stuff the paccheri with the eggplant mixture and roll until properly breaded.

2. To make the tomato sauce, fry onion and garlic with EVO oil in a pot until onions are transparent. Add tomato sauce, reduce heat and slow cook for two hours. After two hours, add basil, salt and black pepper. Upon ensuring the tomato sauce is properly reduced, blend in a blender until smooth.

3. To make the crispy eggplant decoration, mix semolina and flour with salt and black pepper in a frying pot with frying oil. Slice eggplant into very thin, transparent slices and season with salt and black pepper. Place sliced eggplant in the semolina and flour mixture and fully cover. Take out the flour in excess and deep fry the eggplant in hot oil until crispy. To dry with eggplant, place in the oven at 85C for two hours, and then cool. Store in an airtight container with silica gel to prevent eggplant from becoming soggy.

4. Cook the breaded paccheri at 180C for 10 minutes with reheated tomato sauce kept aside. Create a circle of around 100g of tomato sauce on a dinner flat plate, and place the paccheri standing. Pipe salted ricotta cream around the top of the paccheri five times, and place a piece of crispy eggplant on each spot of cream to make a crown. Decorate with small basil leaves and a small drizzle of EVO oil and serve.