In Calabria, vegetables are king—especially in summertime. Every meal headlines the fresh vegetables that are in season, while meat or fish play a supporting role. And just as in Calabria, here in California eggplant overflows throughout the summer in our local farmers’ markets. Unfortunately, many people don’t know how to use eggplant, so here’s a simple dish, starring eggplant, that starts our tour of Calabria.

‘Ncasciata means compressed. In this dish, the idea is the pasta forms the bottom layer and is compressed by the layer of eggplant.

Continue reading Pasta ‘Ncasciata (Baked Pasta with Eggplant) at Our Italian Table.

When most people hear the word “torta” they think of a summer fruit pie in a rustic crust or the famous Easter pie with loads of eggs and ricotta signally the arrival arrival of Spring. This summer torta is perfect picnic dish to pair with some grilled chicken. You can make this in the morning before your picnic or dinner and serve it a room temperature.

Makes enough for 12 people. This torta is great as a left over especially for breakfast.

Continue reading Summer Torta at Our Italian Table.