Tortelloni

When the Trojan War ended with the victory of Greek army over Troy, all heroes returned back home. Agamemnon was one of them. He goes back to his palace in Mycenae and there his wife Clytemnestra welcomes him with glory and seems to accept even his mistress trophy Kassandra. Nevertheless, a behind the scenes story had been going on in that palace during Agamemnon’s absence.

His wife, Clytemnestra, was romantically involved with his cousin Aegisthus, who deputized during Agamemnon’s absence. One may say that ten years is a long time for a young woman to wait patiently and I think Clytemnestra wouldn’t agree more. Apart from that, she never forgave Agamemnon for sacrificing their daughter Iphigenia in order for the ships to sail to Troy.

Tortelloni

So, Agamemnon returns to his palace without having a clue of what was going on during his long absence and not only that, brings Kassandra as his trophy lover with him and forces her to his wife. Now tell me how much a woman can endure?

Clytemnestra had already made her decision and while she lets nothing reveal her intentions, she plots his death. She pretends to accept his mistress and welcomes him with great honors to quell any suspicions from his part. Aegisthus, on the other hand, who was Agamemnon’s cousin, believed that throne should be his, because Agamemnon’s father took it from his father with a conniving, horrendous scheme.

Tortelloni

According to Pindar and the tragedians, Agamemnon was killed after having finished his bath by his wife and Aegisthus. She gave him a robe that had no openings for the hands and head and at the moment when he tried to untangle from it Clytemnestra hit him with an ax and Aegisthus speared him twice. Clytemnestra went on and with the same blooded ax killed Kassandra as well.

Agamemnon’s son Orestes later avenged his father’s murder, with the help or encouragement of his sister Electra, by murdering Aegisthus and Clytemnestra his own mother. But this is another story for another time to tell.

Tortelloni

Having recently returned from my vacations close to Mycenae all this tragedy was still upon me and I started remembering many of the myths I learned while at school. I also remembered that Aeschylus in his tragedy “Agamemnon” says “don’t say for someone that he is happy until you see his death” which is something that we can say that has a timeless value.

I was talking with my son over all this history while I was preparing this delicious lunch on a Sunday noon a little after our return from our vacations! These tortelloni are packed with flavors and the addition of cocoa gives this sauce a completely different dimension!

Tortelloni

 

5.0 from 6 reviews
Tortelloni with Eggplant and Cocoa Sauce
 
Author/ Συγγραφέας:
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Main Course
Cuisine/ Κουζίνα: Mediterranean
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
  • 500 gr. / 1 lb tortelloni with four cheeses
  • 1 eggplant, diced
  • 2 zucchinis, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 tsp tomato paste
  • 3 tsp cocoa powder
  • ½ cup wine, any type divided
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • ½ cup water from pasta
  • Salt, pepper
  • ¼ tsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • Olive oil for sautéing
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
  1. In a large skillet add about three tbsp of olive oil and in medium heat sauté the eggplant, zucchinis and pepper until soft.
  2. Remove them and set aside.
  3. In the same skillet add couple of tbsp of olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until soft.
  4. Pour the ¼ cup of wine and scrape the bottom of the pan.
  5. Let it boil until the wine has lost almost all its volume.
  6. Add the tomato paste and cocoa and stir until a thick paste has formed and the fragrance of cocoa has evolved.
  7. Add the eggplant/zucchini/pepper, ¼ cup of water, the 1 cup of tomato juice, salt pepper, paprika and sugar and let them boil for about 10 minutes.
  8. Towards the end add the oyster sauce and the rest ¼ cup of wine.
  9. In the meantime prepare the tortelloni and reserve ½ cup of the water in which they boil.
  10. When they are almost ready, drain them and throw them in the sauce along with the pasta water.
  11. Stir gently and let them simmer for a couple of minutes.
  12. Serve immediately.
Notes/ Σημειώσεις
Recipe inspired from Bon Apetit

5.0 from 6 reviews
Τορτελόνι με Σαλτσα Μελιτζάνας και Κακάου
 
Author/ Συγγραφέας:
Recipe type/ Τύπος Πιάτου: Κυρίως Πιάτο
Cuisine/ Κουζίνα: Μεσογειακή
Ingredients/ Συστατικά
  • 500 γρ. τορτελλόνι με τέσσερα τυριά
  • 1 μελιτζάνα κομμένη σε κύβους
  • 2 κολοκυθάκια κομμένα σε κύβους
  • 1 πράσινη πιπεριά κομμένη σε κύβους
  • 1 κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
  • 2 σκελίδες σκόρδο, ψιλοκομμένες
  • 4 κ.γ. πελτέ ντομάτας
  • 3 κ.γ. κακάο σε σκόνη
  • ½ φλιτζάνι κρασί, οποιοδήποτε είδος
  • ¼ φλ. νερό
  • 1 φλ. πασάτα ντομάτας
  • 2 κ.σ. σάλτσα στρειδιών
  • ½ φλ. νερό από τα ζυμαρικά
  • Αλάτι, πιπέρι
  • ¼ κ.γ. πάπρικα
  • 1 κ.σ. ζάχαρη
  • Ελαιόλαδο για σοτάρισμα
Instructions/ Εκτέλεση
  1. Σε ένα μεγάλο τηγάνι προσθέστε περίπου τρεις κουταλιές ελαιόλαδο και σε μέτρια φωτιά σοτάρετε τη μελιτζάνα, κολοκυθάκια και πιπέρι μέχρι να μαλακώσουν.
  2. Αφαιρέστε τα και βάλτε τα στην άκρη.
  3. Στην ίδια κατσαρόλα προσθέστε δυο κουταλιές της σούπας ελαιόλαδο και σοτάρετε το κρεμμύδι και το σκόρδο μέχρι να μαλακώσουν.
  4. Ρίξτε το ¼ φλιτζάνι κρασί και ξύστε τον πάτο του τηγανιού.
  5. Αφήστε το να βράσει μέχρι το κρασί να εξατμιστεί σχεδόν πλήρως.
  6. Προσθέστε τον πελτέ και το κακάο και ανακατέψτε μέχρι να σχηματιστεί μια πάστα και το κακάο να καβουρδιστεί.
  7. Προσθέστε τη μελιτζάνα/κολοκυθάκια/πιπέρι, το ¼ φλιτζάνι νερό, το 1 φλιτζάνι χυμό ντομάτας, αλάτι, πιπέρι, την πάπρικα και τη ζάχαρη και αφήστε να βράσουν για περίπου 10 λεπτά.
  8. Προς το τέλος προσθέστε την σάλτσα στρειδιών και το υπόλοιπο ¼ φλιτζανιού κρασί.
  9. Εν τω μεταξύ ετοιμάστε τα τορτελλόνι και κρατήστε ½ φλιτζάνι από το νερό στο οποίο βράζουν.
  10. Όταν είναι σχεδόν έτοιμα, στραγγίστε τα και ρίξτε τα στη σάλτσα μαζί με το νερό ζυμαρικών.
  11. Ανακατέψτε απαλά και αφήστε να σιγοβράσουν για δύολεπτά.
  12. Σερβίρετε αμέσως.
Notes/ Σημειώσεις
Συνταγή εμπνευσμένη από το Bon Apetit