“A table! Pasta waits for no one.” And we did as we were commanded. Diane Seed, author of Top one Hundred Pasta Sauces, was instructing eight of us in the intricacies of Italian cooking. Her detailed and joyous direction was offered with a firm hand informed by years as both a teacher and an administrator at a private girls’ school in Rome. That first lunch gloriously initiated a week of cooking in Rome with linguine tossed with tuna, lemon and rocket (a leafy vegetable similar to dandelion greens).           

Ah, pasta. From the sublime to the ridiculous and always satisfying even when it is the result of combining those odd bits sitting in the fridge with a simple fettuccini. Pasta in its various forms has been found on my table since I was tall enough to stir the sauce under my mother’s skillful tutelage. 

In Diane’s kitchen, we prepared a wide variety of dishes ranging from a seafood “stew” of mussels, squid, and prawns with riso (a rice shaped pasta) to a delicate salmon mousse. We created a simple pane cotta (a custard much too elegant to be defined by such a word) served with wild strawberries purchased at the farmers’ market in Campo di Fiori. Even with all of these lovely choices, it is the pasta dishes I inevitably recreate. 

First, thinly slice the eggplant, lay the slices in single layers on paper towels placed on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Place a baking sheet weighted with a heavy pan on top of the slices and allow the eggplant to drain for approximately one hour. Brush the salt away with the now-damp paper towels. Then fry the slices in a very lightly oiled or non-stick pan until they just begin to brown.

While the eggplant drains, the tomato sauce is simmered and the rigatoni is cooked according to package instructions. Diane informed us that we must always subtract at least two minutes from the time on the package to insure an a la dente pasta. 

One of the surprises of cooking with Diane Seed was how basic her ingredients were. The foundation of the tomato sauce is a large (28 ounce) can of good quality, whole peeled plum tomatoes. I used an imported brand I purchased locally. And honestly, this tomato sauce is much too easy not to make fresh.  Cooking time for the sauce is approximately 15 minutes once all the ingredients are in the saucepan. The amount produced is sufficient for at least two recipes of baked eggplant with rigatoni. According to Diane, most Italian restaurants in the U.S. use too much sauce and thus hide the flavor of the pasta.

Lemon with pasta is seductive. Lemons squeezed by hand, onto torn rocket leaves, stirred with garlic and red chili pepper flakes and then tossed with canned tuna form another beautiful accompaniment for pasta.  Toss this combination with freshly cooked linguine, garnish with thinly sliced lemon and serve immediately. Il sapore ottimo (the best flavor)!

Tomato Sauce
Adapted from recipe by Diane Seed

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup(+/-) fresh basil leaves or one rounded tablespoon dried basil

2 – 14 oz or 1 28-oz can of whole peeled plum tomatoes

Because there are very few ingredients to hide the flavor of the tomatoes, select good quality tomatoes.

Using a 5-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil and fry the onion and garlic on medium heat just until the onion is soft.  Add the tomatoes and basil.  Cook quickly so that sauce retains its bright color as it thickens. Sauce can be processed to smooth texture, if desired.

Baked Pasta with Aubergines

Adapted from recipe by Diane Seed

1 pound short pasta like penne or rigatoni

3 large aubergines (eggplants)

12 oz. mozzarella cheese

3 oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup olive oil (or less)

Salt and black pepper, red pepper flakes (optional)

1.     Cut the eggplants into thin slices, sprinkle with coarse salt and lay on paper towels.  Cover the top layer with another paper towel and place a cutting board on top to assist in purging the bitter juices.  Let rest for 1 hour.

2.     Make the tomato sauce (recipe given above).

3.     Wipe the salt off the eggplant slices and dry.  Fry eggplant, rapidly, at a high heat. Watch closely.  Do not allow to become brown or crisp.  I use a heavy, non-stick pan with very little oil.  Drain on paper towels.

4.     Slice the mozzarella thinly and grate the parmesan.  Cook the pasta, briefly, until it is just pliable (it will continue to cook when it is baked).  Drain and place in a bowl.  Spoon the sauce into the pasta, insuring that it does not become soupy with sauce.

5.     Oil an oven proof-serving dish.  Line the bottom and sides with fried aubergines.  Place a thin layer of sauced pasta into the dish; cover this layer with aubergines, and then, slices of mozzarella.  Repeat the layers making the final one a layer of mozzarella.  If using red pepper flakes sprinkle them on top before the final slices of mozzarella.

6.     Sprinkle the Parmesan and black pepper over the top and bake for 20 minutes in a hot oven (425 degrees) until the top is golden brown. 

Linguine with Tuna, Lemon and Rocket
Adapted from recipe by Diane Seed

1 pound linguine

2 6-oz cans of tuna packed in olive oil

1 cup fresh rocket (dandelion or other bitter leaves) roughly chopped or torn Juice of 2 lemons

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red chili peppers or half of one serrano pepper, finely chopped or to taste

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt to taste

1. Heat the oil and gently cook the garlic and chili pepper.  As garlic changes color add the drained, flaked tuna and stir to incorporate the flavors.  Remove from heat and cover, to keep warm. 
2. Cook the pasta in salted water until just ala dente.  Drain and stir into tuna mixture.  Squeeze lemon juice over the pasta mixture and stir in the rocket leaves.  Using a wooden spoon lift up the pasta and keep turning so that the rocket wilts and the tuna is evenly distributed.  Serve at once.

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