This is one of those convenient cool pasta dishes that
will prove to be a real winner over the summer season.
Sweet red capsicums are roasted and combined with eggplants, anchovies, crumbled feta cheese and olives, with lemon peel to add an intriguing twist, then tossed with cooked spiral pasta (fusilli).
Prepare the dish in advance to allow the flavours time to develop, and serve at room temperature. It goes brilliantly with chicken or fish and makes a satisfying meal on its own.
INGREDIENTS:
4 extra-large red sweet capsicums/peppers, quartered and seeded
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, diced
500 g (about 2 slim) eggplants, diced
6 large cloves garlic, slivered or crushed
grated or slivered zest of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
5 litres (20 cups) water
3 tablespoons salt
500 g large spiral pasta
12 black olives, stoned and quartered
75 g feta, crumbled
4 anchovies, slivered
sea salt and ground pepper to taste
CHECK LIST: roasting pan, cutting board, large frying pan, wooden spoon, metal or non-stick lifter, large saucepan, colander
STAGE 1:
Place peppers on the rack of a roasting pan, skin side up. Roast directly under a preheated grilling element until the skin blisters and blackens.
Watch carefully while they are roasting to ensure they don’t burn. Roasting makes the capsicums easier to peel and brings out their flavour and sweetness.
Remove. For easy peeling, place roasted capsicums in a plastic bag and allow them to sweat for 8-10 minutes to loosen the skin.
STAGE 2:
Leave until cool enough to handle, then carefully peel off the skin. Cut into strips. If you are unable to roast the capsicums, blanch them whole in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain immediately and refresh in cold water. Then halve, seed and slice them.
Toss in a little olive oil in a heated pan for 2-3 minutes and set aside. Roasted peppers are also available from the delicatessen section of many supermarkets.
STAGE 3:
Heat oil in a frying pan until hot but not smoking. Sauté onions, stirring constantly, until pale gold and softened. Add eggplants (slim, young eggplants have fewer seeds and are less likely to be bitter), garlic, lemon zest (use a citrus zester to cut fine lemon slivers) and chilli flakes.
Continue cooking 5-6 minutes. Remove and toss with reserved peppers and anchovies. (If you find the saltiness of anchovies a little strong, soak them in milk for 10 minutes.)
STAGE 4:
Spiral pasta is perfect for this dish, as the corkscrew shape holds the other ingredients together. Bring water and salt to a rolling boil in a large pot. As a general rule, allow 4 cups water for every lOO g dried pasta.
Add pasta and stir immediately to prevent it sticking together. Cook according to packet directions. Drain in a colander. Fold in capsicum and onion mixture and sprinkle with olives and feta. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Try sea salt for seasoning; it has a gentle taste. Use ordinary salt for cooking pasta.
Serve at room temperature in wide shallow bowls.
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