I had the pleasure of going to the dentist office to have a mercury filling replaced. They warned me the filling next to it might need replacing too. As far as I’m concerned, do what you have to while you’re in there so I don’t have to get my face drilled on a second time. And sure enough, it ended up being a two-fer.
I’m as thankful as the next person for Novocaine. But coming down from Novocaine Face is exhausting. During the first phase, when I’m numb from nose to neck, for some reason I get really hungry and grab something on the way home. Then Phase 2 of Novocaine Face kicks in about 30 minutes later, which is when some knawing, deep ache of unidentifiable origin sets in and lasts a couple of hours. Then I hit Phase 3, which is the long, slow, tingly thaw that takes about half the day to pass until everything feels back to normal. That’s also when I realize I shredded the numb side of my tongue and cheek with my teeth while trying to eat during Phase 1. Cringe-worthy, I know, but come on, I know you’ve been there, too!
Soft foods are now in order as my new-and-improved fillings adjust. I want an Italian pasta dish – something I don’t eat that often, but I feel the need to treat myself. I briefly consider the pain of the tomato sauce hitting the raw, exposed parts of my shredded cheek and tongue. I decide the pros outweigh the cons.
Novocaine Face is finally over and it’s time to cook.
It seems that whenever I make a pasta dish, I end up throwing in quite of bit of cheese. I decided to try making a completely vegan recipe without sacrificing flavor. Turns out, it’s not that hard! Just let the fresh ingredients do what they do best and it’s hard to go wrong.
I did break one of my dietary no-no’s. I rarely use sugar for anything. The same re-sealable 1-pound bag of Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar has been in our cupboard for about 5 years now and is still not even half-way gone.
I’m aware that many people think cooked tomatoes are too acidic without a bit of added sugar. I’m not one of them, but my husband is. I asked him to taste the sauce for salt and pepper and before I knew it, he pulled the sugar bag out from the back shelf and had poured some in before I could object. He thought it made a world of difference. I really couldn’t tell. If you decide to cook this, do whatever makes you happy.
Ingredients
1 medium eggplant – peel (if desired) and thinly slice and dice into uniform-sized pieces
1 medium onion – medium dice
6 garlic cloves – chopped
1 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes – crushed by hand (or use diced tomatoes)
1 28-ounce can tomato puree
½ cup chopped basil plus about 8 leaves hand-torn for garnish
½ cup pitted Kalamata olives – sliced
½ pound dry pasta (use vegan and gluten-free options if you prefer)
1-2 tbsp. sugar (optional)
approx. 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper to taste
approx. 3 tsp. salt to taste
Directions
- In a large pot, sauté onions and garlic in 2 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat until translucent – about 5-7 minutes. I like a lot of garlic in this dish, but if you don’t, use whatever amount you are comfortable with.
- Add whole tomatoes and crush with hands. Beware of squirting innards, so wear an apron! I like the rustic texture that results from hand-squeezing the tomatoes, but if this is too messy for you, feel free to use a can of diced tomatoes instead.
- Add in olives and chopped basil. Mix well.
- Stir in eggplant and tomato puree. Mix well until eggplant is completely covered.
- Add 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper and 1 tbsp. sugar.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes until eggplant is thoroughly cooked.
- After eggplant is cooked, adjust salt, pepper and/or sugar to desired taste.
- Cook pasta per package instructions in salted water.
- When pasta is cooked, place 2-3 ladles of pasta water into eggplant sauce and stir well.
- Drain pasta and add directly into eggplant sauce and mix thoroughly so pasta is coated.
- Garnish with fresh, hand-torn basil leaves and serve hot immediately.
cheri says
I know I’ve had a few of those replaced. but if your looking to have this for your next meal, it totally doable. Love this!
Amy says
I guess I dated myself a bit about admitting to having mercury fillings, but it is what it is! Thanks, Cheri!