In a large skillet, drizzle extra virgin olive oil and sauté a whole garlic clove (which you’ll later remove) and the finely chopped onion. Add the sausage, removed from its casing and crumbled with your hands or a fork. Cook over medium heat until well browned and beginning to release its juices.
4. Add the tomato
Pour the tomato pulp or chopped cherry tomatoes into the pan with the sausage and stir well. Cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a few tablespoons of hot water. Season with salt and pepper. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the fried eggplant and stir gently to combine.
5. Cook the pennette
Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pennette until al dente, following the instructions on the package. Once ready, drain, reserving a ladle of the cooking water.
6. Mix the pasta with the cheese
Pour the pasta into the pan with the sausage and eggplant sauce. Add a ladleful of the pasta cooking water to help it blend. Turn off the heat, add the grated or coarsely shaved caciocavallo cheese, and stir well until it melts and forms a creamy, stringy sauce.
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Presentation:
Serve the pennette immediately, piping hot, topping each dish with an extra sprinkling of caciocavallo cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and, if you like, a few hand-torn fresh basil leaves.
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Advice:
If you want an even more intense flavor, you can use a smoked sausage or add a pinch of chili pepper.
The caciocavallo can be replaced with aged scamorza or smoked provola, but the caciocavallo gives that authentic Southern touch.
If you prefer a lighter version, you can bake the aubergines instead of frying them.
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A dish that always conquers everyone, with the creaminess of the cheese, the savouriness of the
sausage and the sweetness of eggplant! 😍
Try it and let me know how it turned out!
