Spicy Sardinian Couscous with Eggplant and Pepper

This past June, I prepared Fregola Sarda (Sardinian Couscous) with Pesto; we liked it but thought that it should have a more pronounced sauce. I had the dried fregola sarda (pasta abruzzese di semola di grana duro), or Sardinian couscous, left from then. As I described, it is "durum wheat toasted pasta that is made by rubbing (fregare means 'to rub' in Italian) coarse semolina pasta and water together to make large granules which are then toasted".

I forgot to mention that just recently I found a local source, A Southern Season gourmet store, for the Chile sauce that I came to enjoy in New Mexico on our October vacation - in fact, the very 505 Southwestern brand, and even the same 2-ounce single serve packets "Flame Roasted Green Chile Singles". I have a few packets left from New Mexico, so used one in today's meal.

I cut a small eggplant into cubes maybe 1/2" in size and started sauteeing them in a saucepan. Of course, eggplant sops up oil, so I had to add a little bit more oil as it cooked. As the eggplant started becoming a bit clear in color, I added in a medium shallot, finely diced. A few minutes later, I added about a quarter of an orange bell pepper, roughly diced to 1/2" or so in size. Finally, I added a chile sauce packet, let it all get mixed together and cook just a minute or two more, then added a little salt. I served it atop the fregola sarda that had been cooked in boiling water.

It was good! There was just enough "oomph" to make it quite tasty and interesting. I have a little leftover couscous, perhaps for a simple side dish in a few days, and enough dry, uncooked product, to make a small serving in the future. I probably will purchase more at some point.

Yesterday, I had two new classes that started, a morning computer class at DeVry and then an evening photography class at the Carrboro ArtsCenter. After photography, my wife met me and I enjoyed what I think is our area's best pizza, a vegan pesto pizza (I had artichoke hearts and tomatoes also on top) from Panzanella; she had a good pasta dish there.