Pasta alla Clean Plater?

I was on the expressway, stuck in traffic, when I got the call: “I want pasta.” When your wife has a Clean Plater in the oven you don’t argue. Pasta it is! Immediately my mind went to the produce drawer full of eggplant back at Clean Plater HQ. Pasta alla Siciliana — I’ll make the sauce myself.

Of course, the best laid plans of mice and men…

I was standing in my kitchen (after half an hour of thinking of Pasta alla Siciliana) realizing I had no tomatoes, capers, anchovies, or black olives. This wasn’t going well. But hey! At least I have eggplant. The following is something I kind of threw together semi-inspired by Pasta alla Siciliana and whatever I had in my pantry.

Tools

• large frying pan (with lid) or heavy pot (with lid)
• wooden spoon (for stirring)
• knife (for cubing and dicing)
• can opener

Ingredients

• Couple table spoons extra virgin olive oil
• One large eggplant, cubed (half inch-ish in size)
• 2 small onions, diced
• 1 large green pepper, diced
• 2 teaspoons of diced garlic
• 4 oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
• 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes
• dried basil, dried oregano, pepper to taste
• pinch of salt

Steps

• Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot or large frying pan over medium heat
• Add in the eggplant, onions, and green pepper, stirring occasionally. Move to next step when the eggplant has gone soft.
• Add tomatoes, garlic, artichoke, spices and salt, stirring it all together. Let it cook like this for a few minutes.
• Bring heat down to medium low/medium and put the lid on. Let cook for 30 minutes.
• Serve over fresh cooked pasta

Eggplant, onion and green pepper softening over medium heat