Food

We first prepared this recipe for eggplant with linguine back in the early ’80s, when the idea of "health food" meant vegetables with loads of butter and sour cream, as in the vegetable stroganoff recipe in Mollie Katzen’s 1977 Moosewood Cookbook.

In all these years, through all the food fashions, we never stopped making this dreamy dish; it’s full of flavor and texture.

Summer Harvest Linguine
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

2 tablespoons each: olive oil, butter
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 pound mushrooms, chopped
4 medium tomatoes chopped
1 large red or yellow bell pepper, seeded, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
4 black oil-cured olives, pitted, finely chopped
1 large zucchini, grated
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 box (1 pound) linguine, cooked to package directions

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and bay leaf; cook, stirring, until onions become translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in eggplant and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms soften, about 10 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes, bell pepper, basil and tomato paste, mixing well. Lower heat to a simmer; cover. Cook 10 minutes. Stir in olives, zucchini, wine, parsley and pepper; cover. Cook until flavors come together, about 15 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Serve with linguine.