No dish could be more authentic or Sicilian than this. Both bucatini and eggplant are synonymous with Sicily, and the use of breadcrumbs is yet another characteristic of the Sicilian cuisine.

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 small eggplants, unpeeled, and cut into small strips
Salt and freshly milled pepper to taste
12 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup Gaeta olives, pitted and quartered
1/4 cup basil leaves, shredded
1 pound bucatini pasta
1/3 cup bread crumbs

METHOD

Heat oil in heavy sauté pan over medium heat. Stir in onion. Cook until softening and add garlic. When onion begins to turn golden, stir in eggplant and cook for five minutes, stirring. Season with salt and pepper.

Add tomatoes, olives and basil and simmer over medium heat until tomatoes soften.

Cook bucatini in rapidly boiling, salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well in colander.

Put pasta in serving bowl. Add the eggplant mixture. Toss and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Serves: 4

This cod recipe calls for salt-cured capers which is common in Sicilian cooking. Preserving in salt maintains the fresh flavor of the caper, but you must rinse well. The best ones come from the isle of Pantelleria in the Channel of Sicily.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 anchovies, finely chopped
1/2 cup Italian parsley, minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Salt & pepper
2 1/2 pounds fresh cod
12 Sicilian black olives pitted and quartered
4 teaspoons salt-cured capers, well rinsed
2 lemons, quartered
more sicilian recipes

METHOD

Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Stir in garlic, anchovies and parsley. Sauté over low heat for 3 minutes.

Add wine and simmer over medium heat about 3 minutes, until slightly reduced. Stir in tomatoes.

Cook, partly covered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add fish, season with salt and pepper to taste. Do not oversalt. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until fish gives up its juice.

Just before serving add the olives and capers.

Serve with lemon wedges as garnish.

Serves: 4

Broccoli and Black Olive Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch broccoli
5 Kalamata olives
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Salt to taste

METHOD

Clean broccoli as noted below, and cut into bite-size pieces. Steam until it loses hardness, but not crispness or bright green color. This should take about seven minutes, depending on the freshness of the broccoli.

While broccoli is steaming, pit the olives. When pitted, cut the olives into slivers.

Remove broccoli from steamer and put into serving bowl. Mix in the grated lemon and the olives. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds, the oil, and lemon juice. Season with salt to taste. Toss well.

Serves 4 – 6