Recipe of the Week

From Third Culture Cooking: Classic Recipes for a New Generation by Zaynab Issa

From the author:

“I have a deep love for both Italian food and Afghan food. And while they are not all that similar, they meet in this spectacular, satisfying vegetarian pasta that tastes like it took hours to make.

This dish is partly inspired by pasta alla Norma, a coastal Italian specialty made with eggplant and chilis, and partly inspired by mantu, Afghan filled dumplings served with a fragrant spiced tomato sauce and yogurt. The yogurt to finish might throw you, but just trust me, something magical happens on your palate when that tangy, garlicky yogurt combines with rich, spiced tomato sauce.”

⅓ cup (75 ml) plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large eggplant (455 g), cut into 1-inch cubes
3 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed
6 garlic cloves, finely grated, divided
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons double- concentrated tomato paste
1 (28-ounce/794 g) can whole peeled tomatoes*
1 pound (455 g) rigatoni pasta*
1 cup (240 ml) plain whole-milk yogurt
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint,* plus leaves for serving

*INSTEAD OF:
Whole peeled tomatoes, use canned crushed tomatoes
Rigatoni, use another large pasta shape
Mint, use dill