One Pot Orecchiette Pasta

One of my favorite days in cooking school was the day we learned how to make fresh pasta. I love the process of getting your hands dirty with flour, water and egg. I also love that you can create such amazing dishes that all start with these simple everyday ingredients.

When we first learned how to make orecchiette I was obsessed. Orecchiette is Italian for “little ear” because of the shape of the pasta. I favor orecchiette over other types of pasta because of the chewiness.  Made with semolina and water, orecchiette has this delicious bite to it that makes it feel heartier. Since homemade orecchiette is pretty easy, I was making it all the time. Now that I am not in cooking school and working full time, I have less time to make fresh pasta at home, but my love for orecchiette has not faded

In this delicious one-pot orecchiette pasta dish, I have paired orecchiette with tomatoes, eggplant, Italian sausage, mozzarella and mint. Totally delicious and satisfying. If you can’t find Japanese eggplant, swap for a regular eggplant. The same goes for the golden balsamic. I prefer golden balsamic over regular balsamic because it not as overpowering, but this is totally your preference, as well as what you have in your house.