This pasta dish makes the most of summery vegetables but is a really rich tomato sauce that has great depth of flavour. Serve with fresh steamed greens for a hearty meal.
Ingredients – serves 4
- 2 aubergines, cut into small cubes
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1tbsp balsalmic vinegar
- 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 400g pasta – rigatoni or penne work well
Method
- Heat the over to 180 degrees
- Start by arranging the aubergine cubes in a shallow roasting dish in one layer, along with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and stir to coat the cubes. Add about 50ml of cold water to the dish – this helps to steam the aubergine and soften it without needing to use copious amounts of oil. Roast in the oven for about 30-40 minutes, stirring half way through, until the aubergine is soft and starting to turn golden in colour.
- Fry the onion on a low heat in a little olive oil until it starts to soften. Once it is soft, turn up the heat and add the tomato puree and balsamic vinegar, and stir well. Add the cherry tomatoes and half a cup of cold water, stir well and bring to a simmer.
- Add the pasta to a saucepan of boiling salted water and simmer.
- Simmer the tomato sauce for at least 10 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to break down.
- Remove the aubergine from the oven, add to the tomato sauce along with the garlic, squeezed out of its skin then add the capers and stir.
- When the pasta is cooked, reserve a cup of the cooking water and drain the rest. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir through. Add some of the reserved cooking water and mix until the sauce coats the pasta and is a silky consistency.
- Grate some parmesan (or vegan alternative) on top and serve with steamed greens or a simple salad.
