Name: Eggplant Spaghetti (Tomato Oil Sauce)
Cuisine: イタリアン
Ingredients: Spaghetti (1.8mm) 200g; Eggplant (Japanese eggplant) 320g; Extra virgin olive oil 80g; Garlic 2 cloves; Onion 60g; Red chili pepper 1; Canned diced tomatoes 160g; Grated cheese 10g; Basil to taste (generous amount); Salt to taste (for salting eggplant and boiling pasta)

About "Eggplant Spaghetti (Tomato Oil Sauce)"

This oil-based spaghetti features seasonal eggplant as the star, accented with a subtle hint of tomato. The professional secret is salting the eggplant beforehand to draw out excess moisture, preventing it from absorbing too much oil. By shallow-frying the eggplant in hot olive oil, we infuse the oil with its rich aroma. The tomatoes are cooked gently without browning to preserve their fresh, bright flavor, creating a light sauce. Finished with plenty of fresh basil, this dish beautifully harmonizes fresh aromas with the juicy, savory flavor of eggplant.

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Tips for Making "Eggplant Spaghetti (Tomato Oil Sauce)"

Prep
- Trim eggplant stems closely and cut them slightly larger than bite-sized, anticipating shrinkage during cooking.
Prep
- Salt and massage the eggplant, letting it sit for 10 minutes to draw out moisture. Squeeze gently to prevent it from absorbing too much oil.
Heat control
- Preheat the pan and add eggplant to hot olive oil. Adding it to hot oil prevents it from absorbing grease, unlike starting with cold oil.
Frying
- Shallow-fry the eggplant for 4 to 5 minutes until browned. This infuses the olive oil with eggplant aroma, enhancing the overall sauce flavor.
Sauce making
- Do not brown the tomatoes. Simply cook down the moisture to create a light sauce, infusing the oil with fresh flavor without clashing with the eggplant.
Sauce making
- Once the sauce moisture is gone, return the eggplant to the pan so it can reabsorb the complex, aromatic oil.
Boiling pasta
- Boil in 1% salted water and drain 20 seconds early. Leaving the pasta slightly starchy helps it absorb the flavorful oil.
Finishing
- Toss the pasta and sauce gently without force to prevent the eggplant from breaking apart.
Finishing
- Sprinkle a touch of grated cheese for savory depth and garnish generously with fresh basil leaves.

Ingredients for "Eggplant Spaghetti (Tomato Oil Sauce)"

10 items

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Spaghetti(1.8mm) 200g
Eggplant(Japanese eggplant) 320g
Extravirgin olive oil 80g
Garlic2 cloves
Onion60g
Redchili pepper 1
Canneddiced tomatoes 160g
Gratedcheese 10g
Basilto taste (generous amount)
Saltto taste (for salting eggplant and boiling pasta)

How to Make "Eggplant Spaghetti (Tomato Oil Sauce)"

1
Trim the stems off the eggplants and cut them slightly larger than bite-sized, keeping in mind they will shrink when cooked.
2
Place the cut eggplant in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, massage well, and let sit for about 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
3
Meanwhile, finely mince the onion and garlic. Separate the basil leaves from the stems, preparing a generous amount of both.
4
After 10 minutes, gently squeeze the eggplant with your hands to wring out any remaining moisture.
5
Thoroughly preheat a frying pan, pour in the olive oil, and add the eggplant to the hot oil.
6
Shallow-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, flipping occasionally, until golden brown all over to infuse the oil with the eggplant's aroma.
7
Transfer the cooked eggplant to a plate and set aside.
8
In the same pan with the eggplant-infused oil, sauté the minced garlic, then add the onion.
9
Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and sauté until the onion becomes slightly translucent.
10
Add the torn red chili pepper and basil stems, and sauté.
11
Add the diced tomatoes and cook down the moisture, being careful not to brown them, aiming for a light sauce that infuses the oil with a fresh tomato aroma.
12
Once the moisture has evaporated and the sauce resembles an oil base, return the cooked eggplant to the pan.
13
Boil the spaghetti in water with 1% salt concentration, draining it about 20 seconds earlier than the package instructions so the surface remains slightly starchy.
14
Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss gently with the sauce, taking care not to break the eggplant.
15
Sprinkle with grated cheese to add a savory depth, then plate the pasta.
16
Garnish generously with fresh basil leaves and an extra sprinkle of grated cheese to finish.

Detailed Commentary on "Eggplant Spaghetti (Tomato Oil Sauce)"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

Eggplant-Focused Spaghetti & Ingredients

Today, we are introducing an exquisite spaghetti featuring eggplant as the star. The ingredients include standard Japanese eggplants, basil, garlic, red chili pepper, a small amount of onion, extra virgin olive oil, canned diced tomatoes, grated cheese, salt, and 1.8mm spaghetti. Looking at the balance of ingredients, the amount of tomato sauce is relatively small for a tomato-based dish, while the olive oil is slightly generous. Eggplant is notorious for absorbing oil, but with a simple extra step, we can prevent it from becoming greasy and soggy. Rather than making a heavy tomato sauce, we aim for a lighter, oil-based finish with just a hint of tomato flavor to let the eggplant shine.

Pro Prep Technique to Stop Eggplant Absorbing Oil

We start with the prep. Trim the eggplant stems closely and cut them slightly larger than bite-sized. Cutting them larger is key to maintaining a satisfying texture, as they shrink when cooked. Now, here is the crucial professional technique: place the cut eggplant in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and massage it thoroughly. Letting it sit for about 10 minutes breaks down the cell structure, drawing out excess moisture. This prevents the eggplant from absorbing too much oil during cooking, allowing you to get a beautiful golden color with minimal oil. Meanwhile, finely mince the onion and garlic, and separate the basil leaves from the stems so you can enjoy their fresh aroma in every bite.

Frying Eggplant to Infuse the Oil with Flavor

After about 10 minutes, gently squeeze the eggplant to wring out any remaining moisture. Next, preheat your frying pan thoroughly before pouring in the olive oil, and add the eggplant to the hot oil. Heating eggplant starting from cold oil causes it to absorb grease, but placing it in hot oil quickly seals it, preventing oil absorption. Shallow-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, flipping occasionally, until beautifully browned. This step not only colors the eggplant but also serves the vital purpose of infusing the olive oil with its unique aroma. Infusing the oil elevates the flavor of the entire sauce. Once cooked, set the eggplant aside on a plate.

Making a Light Sauce to Highlight the Eggplant

Using the oil beautifully infused with eggplant aroma, we build the sauce. First, add the minced garlic, followed by the onion. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and sauté until the onion is slightly translucent, then add the torn chili pepper and basil stems. Next, add the canned tomatoes, taking care not to brown them. While many pasta recipes brown tomatoes to create rich Maillard flavors, eggplant is the star here. Over-browning the tomatoes would create too much depth, clashing with the rich flavor of the eggplant and muddying the contrast. Therefore, we simply cook down the moisture to create a light sauce, infusing the oil with a fresh tomato aroma.

Boiling Pasta and Finishing with Rich Flavors

Once the moisture has evaporated and the sauce is oil-based, return the eggplant to the pan. This allows the eggplant to reabsorb the complex, aromatic oil. For the pasta, use 1.8mm spaghetti and boil it in water with a 1% salt concentration. Drain it about 20 seconds earlier than the package instructions. Draining it so the surface remains slightly starchy helps the pasta absorb the flavorful oil. Add the pasta to the pan and toss gently. The key is to mix gently without force so the eggplant doesn't break apart. Finally, sprinkle with a touch of grated cheese to add savory depth, and it's ready.

Perfect Harmony of Fresh Basil and Juicy Eggplant

Plate the pasta, garnish generously with fresh basil leaves, and top with more grated cheese. Tasting his creation, the chef praised it, saying, "It's perfect!" Despite the rich oil base, the salting technique keeps it light, delivering the juicy flavor of the eggplant directly. Senior chef Ishijima and Manager Kodama also tasted it and showered it with praise. The pasta and eggplant are beautifully unified, with the fresh aroma of basil bursting in your mouth with every bite. The pairing is so perfect you'll want to keep adding extra basil as you eat. Without any special ingredients, simply following these precise steps yields a restaurant-quality pasta at home.

About 弓削啓太（YUGETUBE）

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