Ciao
a tutti! Every time we travel, we make a point of leaving a few days to just
wander so we don’t get too overwhelmed, I think this is usually a pretty smart
choice, at least for us. So, today we decided to walk and browse in and out of
some shops. My mother always told me about a department store that she went to
on her first trip to Italy with her best friend when they were younger. The
store is called Upim. It is basically the Italian equivalent or a Target or
JCPenney. My mother and I found it on my first trip in the summer of 2011 and I
was very eager to get back. This Store is so much fun!! They have clothing,
makeup, accessories, home décor, jewelry…pretty much anything that women love!
I
love shopping in Italy and getting brands and designers that are not available
in this country, I know that may seem silly, but I get a kick out of it. I
especially love buying Italian makeup and shoes! Unfortunately at Upim, you're not allowed to take pictures, so I have none to share with you. Now, enough about the
shopping, let’s get to the reason why I’m here: FOOD!!
After
all that shopping, we worked up a good appetite. On our last trip, we were
lucky enough to find a little outdoor café just a couple of blocks from Upim,
so we decided to have lunch there again, we even had the exact same meal.
Fried Zucchini Flowers, my weakness |
If
you haven’t tried Pasta all Norma, I highly recommend it. What can I say? It’s
just a wonderful dish. I hope you enjoy my version, please let me know what you
think!
Pasta alla
Norma
Pasta alla Norma. Doesn't it look yummy?!? |
2 medium
eggplants- cut into little cubes (you pick exactly how little)
7 tbsp. olive
oil
Salt &
Pepper (quanto basta!)
Onion- minced
1 tbsp. red
pepper
4 cloves of
garlic-minced
1 large can of
tomatoes (I always use San Marzano tomatoes, in my opinion, they’re just the
best!)
Handful of
fresh basil
1 pound of
rigatoni
1 cup of
ricotta salata
Preheat
your over to 400 degrees. Put the eggplant in a bowl and drizzle with 4 tbsp.
olive oil. Add salt and pepper and toss. Put the eggplant on a baking sheet and
roast for around 20 minutes or until lightly caramelized, but not burnt!!
Heat
the remaining oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft,
around 10 minutes. Add red pepper and garlic; continue cooking until the garlic
softens. Add tomatoes, some of the basil, salt and cook for around 6-7 minutes.
Boil
some water for the pasta. Once it is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al
dente, around 9 minutes. Drain pasta and add to the tomato mix. Stir in the
eggplant and toss, add the remaining basil and a little salt. Garnish with ricotta salata. As always, I LOVE to hear what you have to say! Boun Appetito!!
I love the presentation!
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