THE Mediterranean paccheri they are a truly exceptional first course in its simplicity. The name itself is reminiscent of the sunny ones lands of the Mediterranean Sea, the goodness and genuineness of the dishes of the Italian peninsula. The real secret lies in the choice of vegetables: fresh, seasonal and tasty. The recipe calls for frying the aubergines and sautéing the courgettes and peppers in a pan; the vegetables are then accompanied with capers and black olives, which give flavor and body to the dish, and with the provolone which gives that final touch that cannot be renounced. Mediterranean paccheri can be eaten both hot and cold, so they represent a very versatile first course that can be offered for a standing lunch or buffet. Mediterranean paccheri they are perfectly suited to the needs of an entire family with different tastes and the next day they are even better! You can also vary the vegetables as you like to get a different result every time.

Preparation

1

Peel and finely chop the onion. Wash the vegetables and cut the courgettes into cubes.

2

First cut the peppers into strips and then into cubes.

3

Pour the oil into a large saucepan and add the onion. Heat over low heat and after 2 minutes add the diced courgettes and peppers. Add a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes.

4

Heat 100 ml of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. In the meantime, cut the aubergines into ½ cm cubes.

5

When the oil is hot, dip the aubergines and fry them for about 10 minutes over medium heat.

6

As soon as they are golden brown remove them from the oil with the help of a slotted spoon and let them drain on a sheet of absorbent paper. Add 1 pinch of salt.

7

Once the aubergines have lost the excess oil, add them to the pan with the courgettes and peppers. Also add the diced tomatoes and the chopped capers.

8

Let it cook for another 5 minutes. In the meantime put a pot of water on the fire and, when it boils, add 1 pinch of salt and the pasta. Leave to cook according to the time indicated on the package.

9

Add the black olives and fresh basil to the pan of vegetables. Drain the pasta directly into the sauce and sauté quickly to blend the flavours. Turn off the heat and add the provola. Serve hot, garnishing with a few basil leaves.

Advice and tips

You can add other vegetables or vary some of them: for example, you can eliminate the round peppers and replace them with friggitelli, or use pearl or long aubergines instead of round aubergines.

You can replace the provola with smoked scamorza, or with buffalo mozzarella or cubes of Primosale cheese. If you don’t like cheese you can omit it or substitute some for it tuna fillets in oil in glass.

The fresh tomato can be replaced by cherry or date tomatoes, which have a sweeter taste. If you have some, you can also use yellow cherry tomatoes, very delicate. In addition to the basil, you can add some fresh thyme leaves.

We advise you to use good quality black olives, such as those of Gaeta. We do not recommend buying canned olives: always try to contact your trusted delicatessen for fresh products.

You can use your favorite pasta: we have proposed smooth paccheri, but you can also use striped paccheri or other short pasta such as mezze Maniche or calamarata.

storage

Mediterranean paccheri can be stored in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for 2 days. Freezing is not recommended.