Monday, May 10, 2010

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti




Giulia Melucci, author of I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti (a memoir of good food and bad boyfriends), is not just an amazing writer and amazing cook, she is an amazing person.

If you have not read the book, I suggest you go on Amazon immediately or head to your local bookstore. Whether you are male or female, heartbreak is universal, so I recommend this book to anyone, especially a foodie!

Why is she an amazing person? I had emailed her last week and she responded within 24 hours with words that were kind, supportive, and truly funny! I am meeting her next week at a book signing and cooking demo and look forward to writing more about my interaction with her and posting some photos from the special event.

In the meantime, I am making her recipes! And wow, are they fantastic! This weekend I made an adapted version of a delicious pasta sauce called Lachlan's Rigatoni with Eggplant. He was a bad boyfriend but a good cook. Enjoy!

Lachlan's Rigatoni with Eggplant (adapted from Giulia Melucci's ex-boyfriend)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 large (28 ounce can) crushed tomatoes (I used Red Pack's Italian style)
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon sugar (tomatoes, wine, and eggplant are acidic, do not omit this!)
1 pound rigatoni (I used rotelli primavera to be healthier), cooked al dente
freshly grated Romano cheese

Directions:
1) Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and red pepper and saute until onion is translucent.
2) Add the eggplant and 1 teaspoon salt and cook for 20 minutes, allowing the eggplant to get a little brown.
3) Add crushed tomatoes, wine, sugar, and the remaining salt. Place lid half open on the pot and simmer for 1 hour.
4) Serve over hot, cooked pasta with grated cheese on top.


16 comments:

  1. This looks delicious!!! I just bought an eggplant too! I can't wait to try this!

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  2. Sounds like a great read! The last book I read made me incredibly hungry, sounds like this one would too.

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  3. I used to wing a very similar recipe in my single days. I love eggplant.

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  4. Yummy pasta with eggplant, this book sounds great!

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  5. Sounds like a great book for the Cook the Books Club. I can't wait for them to suggest it so I am going to have to buy it now. Love the Eggplant Sauce.

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  6. What a fun book! Have fun at the book signing and your pasta looks so delicious.

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  7. Sounds like a good read and that recipe sounds amazing! Have fun at the signing!

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  8. What a sweet lady. This pasta with eggplant sounds excellent! And the book sounds good too - have fun meeting her!

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  9. Sounds like such a good book. And isn't it cool when you get a response from people you admire? Love the sound of this sauce. Hope you enjoy meeting her :)

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  10. i've actually read this book, and i'm jealous that you get to meet giulia! of all the recipes she included in the book, i remember this one as appealing the most (i was on a huge eggplant kick at the time). have fun at the demo!

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  11. I never had a boyfriend who could cook, so she is definitely an amazing person, smiles. She sounds like a lot of fun and is certainly very generous with her time. Meeting her her should be a tons of fun.

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  12. Giulia sounds fascinating. How lovely she responded so quickly and what fun you will have meeting her in person! Can't wait for you to tell us all about it.
    I'll certainly look into the book. The eggplant pasta dish looks wonderful, Aimee!

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  13. Have a great time at the book signing! This looks like a great dish - I love the idea of simmering it so slowly. Slow-cooked eggplant is delicious!

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  14. I love the title of that book! So cool!

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  15. Looks wonderful Aimee! I have to pick that book up next time I go to the book store!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Cheers~

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