Recipe: Eggplant and Pasta Pasticcio (with homemade pasta, Italian)

EGGPLANT AND PASTA PASTICCIO

FOR THE SAUCE:
2 pounds fresh whole tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
1 chile pepper, minced
Salt and pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided use
FOR THE EGGPLANT:
1 pound eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds
1/2 cup flour
FOR THE PASTA:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
Salt
FOR ASSEMBLING THE DISH:
1 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced

TO MAKE THE TOMATO SAUCE:
Blanch the tomatoes in pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Peel, seed, and chop them. Toss then with garlic, basil, oregano, chili, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a bowl and let marinate 1 hour.

TO PREPARE THE EGGPLANT:
Arrange eggplant slices on a try overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt; set aside to purge bitter liquid for 30 minutes.

MEANWHILE, TO MAKE THE PASTA:
Work the flour with eggs and a pinch of salt until firm elastic dough forms; you may need to add a little flour or water. Wrap in plastic and set aside for 30 minutes.

Roll out into thin sheets using a pasta machine, keep covered with a slightly damp towel so they do not dry out. (This dish is unusual because it does not call for boiling the pasta before baking it.)

TO FRY THE EGGPLANT:
Squeeze eggplant slices gently, blot them dry with paper towels, then dredge them in the flour; shake off excess flour.

Heat all but 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil, in a wide skillet and fry eggplant slices until golden on both sides. Blot dry on paper towels.

TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly grease an oven-to-table baking dish with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Line bottom of dish with a few spoons of the tomato sauce top with a few sheets of fresh pasta draping them over the rim of the dish. Layer fried eggplant slices and mozzarella slices in baking dish Add a spoonful of the sauce sparingly. Fold overlapping pasta sheets over the top to enclose.

Bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 8 servings
Source: La Cucina Italiana