All About Eggplant

Chef Scott Conant Demonstrates The Versatility Of This Fruit - Yup, Technically It's A Fruit

(CBS) 
Eggplant & Taleggio Mezzaluna
(Serves six; makes about 70 mezzaluna total)

For the filling:
1 medium eggplant, cut into a 1/2-inch dice
About 1/4 cup olive oil
4 shallots, thinly sliced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
5 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup homemade chicken broth or purchased low-salt chicken broth
4 ounces Taleggio cheese, frozen briefly to make shredding it easier
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

Make the filling: Put the eggplant in a strainer, salt it amply, and let it drain for an hour or so. In a deep sided skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté until lightly browned on the edges. Add the eggplant and thyme, lower the heat to medium, and sweat the eggplant for about 6 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and cook until all of their liquid is released, about 20 minutes Add the chicken stock and partially cover the pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is very soft and the mixture is very dry, about 1 hour. (Excess moisture can cause the filled pasta to crack when frozen.) Allow the eggplant mixture to cool to room temperature and then grate the Taleggio into the mix. Add the chopped parsley and toss to combine. (The filling can be made a day ahead of stuffing the pasta; store it, covered, in the fridge.)

Fresh Pasta Dough
3 to 3 1/2 cups "00" flour or unbleached all-purpose flour, more as needed and for flouring
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon olive oil

Mix the dough: On a clean counter, whisk together 3 cups of the flour and the salt. Make a deep and wide well in the center of the flour. (You may not need all of the flour, but the extra helps keep the eggs contained within the well; it's a drag if the eggs escape and run all over.)

Combine the eggs, yolks, and olive oil, in the center of the well and whisk to combine. Without breaking the wall, gradually mix in the flour with a fork a little at a time until the eggs are no longer runny. Stay mainly in the center of the well as you mix. Continue to bring in more and more flour until the dough becomes too stiff to work with a fork. At this point, use you hands to bring in just enough of the remaining flour to make a cohesive mass. When the dough no longer easily absorbs more flour, set the dough aside, scrape the work surface clean of excess flour and dried buts of dough, and wash and dry your hands.

Knead the dough: Lightly re-flour the clean work surface and knead the dough until it's smooth and homogenous, about 5 minutes. You'll know you have added the right amount of flour and kneaded long enough when the dough no longer sticks to a clean finger, and it feels resilient. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour before rolling it.

Roll the dough: Take the pasta dough out of the fridge and let it warm up a bit. Get your pasta rolling machine ready with the roller set to the widest setting. Flour your work surface. Cut the pasta dough into 4 pieces. Very lightly flour one piece (cover the rest with plastic wrap) and run it through the pasta machine on the widest setting two times. Fold it in half and run it through again. Fold it in half again and run it through again. Set the machine to the next level of thickness and run the piece of dough through. Lightly flour the dough if it seems sticky during the rolling. If it tears, flour it and repeat a wider setting. Continue rolling the on each successively narrower setting until it's about 1/32 inc thick and you can see the can see the shape of your hand through the sheet (the actual setting will vary by machine). Be sure you have a lot of space as you roll as the pasta sheets will get quite long. You can stack the sheets of dough if you flour them well or cover each in plastic wrap. Repeat this entire process with the remaining three pieces of dough. Use the rolled pasta sheets as directed in the specific recipe.
Note: If a recipe calls for a half batch of pasta dough or less, you can either cut the recipe in half or-the better option in my opinion-make the whole batch and cut the remaining sheets of pasta into fettuccine, papardelle, or tagliatelle. (Use the cutter that came with your pasta roller or use a large, sharp knife.) Wrap the cut pasta loosely around your hand to make a nest and freeze the nests on a parchment lined baking sheet. Once rock solid, you can transfer them to a zip top bag for easier storage in the freezer.

Fill the pasta: Roll the fresh pasta out into very thin sheets following the directions that came with your pasta rolling machine. (You want the sheets thin enough that you can see the outline of your hand though the pasta.). Line a sided baking sheet with parchment paper and flour the paper. With a strip of dough in front of you, very lightly brush some water or the egg wash over the entire piece of dough. Place about a teaspoon of filling at two-inch intervals just a little bit above the middle of the strip. (You can use a pastry bag to do this if that's easier for you; just be sure the opening is big enough to accommodate the pieces of cheese in the filling.) Carefully lift the bottom edge of the strip of dough and bring it to meet the top, letting it fall loosely over the filling. Using the pinky side of each hand, gently pat the area close to each lump of filling to coax out any trapped air. Flour a 2-inch round cutter and stamp out half moon shapes by positioning the folded edge in the center of the circle to result in a nice half circle with the filling approximately centered. As you work, transfer the filled pasta to the parchment lined baking sheet in single layer. (Don't stack them or they will stick together.). Freeze the pasta on the baking sheet until rock solid and then transfer them to freezer bags or some other airtight container for longer storage. (They'll keep, frozen, for up to two weeks.) If you prefer to cook the pasta right away, freeze them for as long as you can so they will be easier to handle.

Cherry Tomato Sauce
(Makes about 1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup to 1/4 cup chicken broth
6 basil leaves, cut into a chiffonade
1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves
Pinch crushed red pepper
Kosher salt to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan on medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are just soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Add a little chicken broth to help create a more sauce-like texture. Add the basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes and season with a little salt. If using right away, reduce to a simmer and keep warm. Otherwise, you can refrigerate the tomatoes and reheat them when you're ready to serve them.

To serve: Gently reheat the Cherry Tomato Sauce, if necessary. Bring a large pot of amply salted water to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer and cook the pasta until just tender. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a very large sauté pan over medium heat. Gently drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the butter. Increase the heat to medium-high and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and about a teaspoon of the chives. Divide the pasta among warm bowls or plates. Top with a ladleful of the tomatoes, some shavings of the Parmigiano, and a tiny sprinkle of chives.