Pasta with aubergine-tomato sauce

Aubergine, in all its manifestations, matches Nero d'Avola like a house. This vegetarian pasta with aubergine-tomato sauce is a variation on the classic Pasta alle Norma. On the table in 20 minutes! -TEXT + IMAGE JOLANDE VOS

Preparation 20 minutes

What you need (2 people)

• olive oil
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic
• red pepper, 1 stoned and finely chopped
• can of tomato pieces (400 ml)
• oregano 1tl
• salt, pepper
• 2 aubergines, diced
• 125 g penne
• 25 g pine nuts
• 100 g ricotta cheese
• 50 g flour
• Parmesan cheese 25 g, grated
• grated zest of ½ lemon
• 10 black olives, halved
• 15 g fresh basil

This is how you make it

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan and fry the shallot for about 4 minutes. Squeeze the garlic on top. Fry the red pepper for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and season the sauce with oregano, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the aubergine cubes for about 10 minutes until tender. Toss occasionally. Cook the penne in plenty of salted water until tender, according to the instructions.

Chop or grind the pine nuts. Mix the ricotta with the flour, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and ground pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper. Form 16 balls from this mixture and slightly flatten them. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and fry the ricotta balls for about 5 minutes on both sides until golden brown.

Spoon the tomato sauce, penne and olives through the aubergine cubes. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Divide the ricotta balls and basil leaves on top.

More recipes?

This recipe is from: LA CUCINA VERDE | MIKI DUERINCK & KRISTIN LEYBAERT WITH PHOTOS BY HEIKKI VERDURME | STANDARD PUBLISHER | ISBN: 9789022333679 | € 15

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