Peel the eggplant completely with a vegetable peeler and cut into bite-sized cubes. Toss with salt and let sit for about 5 minutes to draw out moisture. Don’t rinse — just gently squeeze out the liquid that comes out.
Rinse the basil lightly, shake off the water, and pick off just the leaves.
Cut the cherry tomatoes into cubes or wedges, and mince the garlic.
Heat olive oil in a pan and lightly sauté the minced garlic and salted eggplant.
Add the basil and cherry tomatoes, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, cover, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. The moisture released from the eggplant and tomatoes cooks everything evenly.
Turn off the heat and transfer to a wide container. Add a generous amount of lemon zest and olive oil, mix well, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill.
Boil the capellini in salted water for exactly the time listed on the package. Rinse the cooked pasta in ice water, then drain in a colander.
Add a generous amount of the chilled eggplant-tomato mixture to the pasta, toss well, and plate.
Tips
Since the eggplant was pre-salted, taste before serving and adjust with more salt if needed.
Pairs beautifully with burrata or fresh mozzarella for a richer bite.
Store leftovers in the fridge and either boil fresh pasta to eat the same way, or pile it generously onto crisp toasted bread.
Use extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil leaves if you can — make a big batch, refrigerate, and eat within 3 days.
Chilled Eggplant Capellini
Equipment: pot, frying pan, knife, cutting board, mixing bowl
Ingredients (1 serving)
- capellini 100g
- eggplant 2
- cherry tomatoes 250g
- garlic 2 cloves
- basil 20g
- lemon 1 zest
- olive oil 5 tbsp
- salt 1 tbsp (for pasta water)
- salt 5g (for salting the eggplant)
- black pepper a pinch
Instructions
1. Peel the eggplant completely with a vegetable peeler and cut into bite-sized cubes. Toss with salt and let sit for about 5 minutes to draw out moisture. Don't rinse — just gently squeeze out the liquid that comes out.
2. Rinse the basil lightly, shake off the water, and pick off just the leaves.
3. Cut the cherry tomatoes into cubes or wedges, and mince the garlic.
4. Heat olive oil in a pan and lightly sauté the minced garlic and salted eggplant.
5. Add the basil and cherry tomatoes, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, cover, and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. The moisture released from the eggplant and tomatoes cooks everything evenly.
6. Turn off the heat and transfer to a wide container. Add a generous amount of lemon zest and olive oil, mix well, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill.
7. Boil the capellini in salted water for exactly the time listed on the package. Rinse the cooked pasta in ice water, then drain in a colander.
8. Add a generous amount of the chilled eggplant-tomato mixture to the pasta, toss well, and plate.
https://hong-recipe.pages.dev/en/recipes/chilled-eggplant-capellini/
Hong's Recipe
