Region: Italy
Category: Pasta with Vegetables
Season: Summer
Difficulty: Labor Intensive
This popular dish is a perfect summertime first course. 
The cured olives called for in this recipe are oil or sun-cured and are wrinkled and tangier than regular brined olives. The roasting and frying of the vegetables is what gives the dish its unique flavor which is so much more than what you’d expect from these vegetables.
[photo: Judd Pilossaf, Bon Appetit, May 1997]
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 1:40 hours
6 to 8 cups olive oil for frying
1 medium eggplant, un-peeled and cubed in 1 1/2 inch pieces
Salt to taste
4 large shallots, peeled and quartered
1 large red bell pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Sicilian or Greek cured black olives, pitted and chopped coarsely
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 quarts water
2 large artichokes
1/2 pound rigatoni, tortiglioni or fusilli
1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. In a deep-fryer or an eight-inch saucepan with a wire fry basket, preheat the frying oil to 360ºF.
3. Arrange the eggplant pieces on paper towels, salt lightly, and drain of any bitter juices for 30 minutes. Damp dry with paper towels.
4. Fry the eggplant cubes until deep golden brown, about 8 minutes. Set aside on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
5. Place the shallots and red bell pepper in a baking pan with the olive oil. Roast for 25 minutes. Remove the shallots to a mixing bowl and set aside, leaving the red bell pepper in the oven until its skin is blistered black, about another 20 minutes. Remove the red bell pepper and cool enough to handle. Peel and cut into strips. Toss with the shallots, olives, and garlic in a serving bowl.
6. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and cook the artichokes for 25 minutes. Remove the artichokes and set aside to cool. Save the water and skim of any foam on top. Trim the artichokes and cut the foundations in 1/8-inch chunks and set aside with the other vegetables in the serving bowl. Scrape 4 tablespoons of flesh from the bottoms of the bracts. Set aside with vegetable mixture.
7. Return the water you cooked the artichokes in to a boil and salt abundantly. Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking together, until al dente. Drain without rinsing. Transfer the pasta to a servings bowl and drain. Toss the pasta very gently with the vegetables and add more olive oil if desired. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes before serving.
Variation:
Note:
Posted: 12/25/2006