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1
Light a grill or preheat a grill pan.
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2
Brush the cut sides of the halved eggplants with olive oil and season with salt; grill the eggplants cut side down over moderate heat until lightly charred, about 4 minutes.
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3
Turn and continue grilling until just browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes longer.
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4
Let cool; dice the eggplants and transfer to a bowl.
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5
Pour the vinegar over the eggplant and toss well.
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6
In a small saucepan, combine the 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of olive oil with the garlic, marjoram sprigs, crushed red pepper and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
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7
Bring the oil to a simmer, then pour it over the eggplant and toss; let stand for 1 hour.
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8
Discard the marjoram sprigs.
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9
In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the orecchiette until al dente.
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10
Drain the pasta, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water.
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11
Add the eggplant to the pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring lightly, until hot, about 30 seconds.
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12
Add the orecchiette and the reserved cooking water and cook, tossing, for about 30 seconds.
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13
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the pecorino and parsley.
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14
Spoon the pasta into bowls.
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15
Dot the pasta with the creamy burrata filling.
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16
Garnish with the lemon zest, chile strips and marjoram leaves and serve.
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17
WINE:*.
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18
Rich, spicy dishes like this pasta will overwhelm reds that don't have equally robust flavors. A good place to find these kinds of reds is Italy's central Abruzzo region, which produces lush, berry-packed wines from the Montepulciano grape. Try the peppery 2007 Nicodemi Notari Montepulciano d'Abruzzo or the smooth 2006 Valle Reale Montepulciano d'Abruzzo.
