MACARONI BEAUCAIRE

Macaroni Beaucaire image

Provided by Wallace Hale

Categories Pasta

Time 50m

Number Of Ingredients 12

8 oz macaroni, elbow
1/4 c olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly grated gruyere cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 c minced fresh chives
FOR THE VEGETABLES
1/2 c canola oil
1 1/2 lb eggplants trimmed and cut lengthwise into 6 slices about 1/2 in thick(2 eggplants)
1/2 tsp salt
3 ripe tomatoes cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 c shredded chedder cheese

Steps:

1. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot.Add the macaroni and stir frequently until water comes back to a boil, so the elbows dont stick to the bottom of the pot, cook the elbows for 15 minutes, until just tender but stillslightly undone. Next, Scoop out about 3/4cup of the cooking liquid and place it in a bowl large enough to hold the macaroni, then drain the elbows.Add the olive oil, Gruyere cheese, salt, and pepper to the cooking liquid in the bowl and mix well, then add the macaroni and chives mix well and set aside. Next fro the Vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil in a large skillet. when it is hot, add a few of the eggplant slices in one layer, sprinkle them with a little salt, and cook on each side for 3 minutes until soft and nicely browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and put on a plate. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, adding more oil to the pan as needed. next, Preheat the oven to 400 degrees f. next, Reserve the 6 nicest slices of eggplant and half of the tomatoe slices and arrange the remainder of the vegetables in a 14-by-10 inch gratin dish so the completely cover the bottom. Distribute the macaroni evenly on top and arrange the reserved eggplant and tomato slices in an alternating pattern over the macaroni. sprinkle with the shredded cheese. next, Bake the gratin for 20 minutes. serve immediately