PACCHERI with SWORDFISH and EGGPLANT - PACCHERI con PESCE SPADA e MELANZANE

             Pasta swordfish and eggplant.....a rich and complete dish, we love it very much and you will too. Try it!

Ingredients:

1 lb.  Paccheri (you may choose other pasta) See below

2 long eggplants

1/2 lb. swordfish

3 chopped tomatoes or 10 cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup white wine

1 clove of garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

peperoncino

Sprigs of parsley

salt and pepper

First wash and then cut the eggplant into pieces. Remove the skin from the swordfish slices and cut into chunks.

Fry the eggplant in oil for 5-10 minutes then lift them with a slotted spoon and set them aside.

In the same pan, fry the garlic. Add the swordfish cubes to the pan and let it brown for a couple of minutes over high heat. Add the white wine and give it time to evaporate.

In the meantime cut and, if you want, peel the tomatoes. (I prefer peeled tomatoes). Add the tomatoes and the chili pepper to the pan and let it cook for 5 minutes over high heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat under the pan.

In the meantime, cook the pasta.

Turn the heat back on under the pan and add the fried eggplant and fresh parsley. Add over cooked paccheri and serve hot!

On occasion I substitute Paccheri with Pennoni.

Portrait of Pandemic at Grandmother's House - Ritratto di Pandemia a Casa della Nonna

While many Americans claim to be experiencing 'cooking fatigue' during the coronavirus pandemic, for me who likes to cook and am good at it, cooking is business as usual. 

This week we finished canning tomatoes (120 jars) from our vegetable garden.  Canning tomatoes has been an ingrained summertime tradition in our family for the last 60 years.

Canning 2020

     

Sausage making has also been a tradition in our family.  During the early months of the pandemic, we made pork and chicken sausages.  Every year, it's a great time for the whole family to get together and continue the tradition.  This year, due to the coronavirus just my husband and I were involved in sausage making.

Consumption of pasta soared during the coronavirus pandemic -- 

While many made home-made bread during the pandemic, we enjoyed making home-made pasta.

  

Having had an overload of eggplant this season, I have been forever frying, roasting and pickling.

Pizza is food of the pandemic

During the months of March and April as I walked our neighborhood, pizza delivery cars were seen on a daily basis.  We always preferred making pizza at home so that we can top the pizza with our favorite toppings.

   

For us these traditions are here to stay even after the coronavirus situation improves.