Baba Ghanouj (eggplant spread)

This and the next couple of posts are from a Middle Eastern food party I threw a while back. This is tasty spread on sandwiches or served with pita bread wedges or pita chips, and is easy to make. The next time you're considering making hummus, consider making this instead. I believe I found the recipe at epicurious.com.

You need:

2 1-pound eggplants, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste) [I've been able to find this at local supermarkets, but you may have to check the specialty foods section, or even a specialty foods store]
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, chopped

To make it:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously oil rimmed baking sheet. Place eggplant halves, cut side down, on sheet. Roast until eggplant is very soft, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Using spoon, scoop out pulp from eggplant into strainer set over bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, allowing excess liquid to drain from eggplant.

Transfer eggplant pulp to food processor. Add 1/4 cup oil, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic; process until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl.

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Feta, Eggplant, and Olive Sauce (for pasta)

This recipe comes straight from While the Pasta Cooks. I rediscovered it last night, and it's an old favorite.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta (they say "any shape" but I also prefer fusilli or rotini or bowties in this, I wouldn't make it with any of the "long" pastas)
1 1/2 lbs. small firm eggplant, stemmed, peeled, and cut into thin 2-inch-long strips
1 tsp. salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
12 imported black olives (Mislinis, Kalamata, or Nicoise), pitted and coarsely chopped
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and stir a few times to ensure that the pasta does not stick to itself. Boil vigorously for the time recommended on the pasta package or until the pasta is tender.

While the pasta cooks, toss the eggplant with the kosher salt in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave at full power for 2 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess water.

Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook until the onion has softened, about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and eggplant and cook until the eggplant has lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, basil, and olives.

Drain the pasta and toss it in a serving bowl with the sauce and feta cheese.

My notes: The key to actually getting all of this done "while the pasta cooks" is to make sure everything is chopped and measured before you start boiling the water. Also, I know I've recommended in other recipes that you don't need to pit the olives, but in this one, it's better if you do. This is also a fairly dry sauce.