I love aubergines – stuffed, fried, in a ratatouille, puréed into a smoky babaganoush, or simply chopped to create a hearty pasta sauce. Tonight I was late home so I opted for a quick fix pasta recipe. In an ideal world, this pasta sauce should be simmered over low heat for half an hour or so, so that the basil, aubergines and tomato infuse the sauce with flavours rich in their simplicity. But if time is of the essence, it’s still good when cooked for less time, and you can always cook extra and simmer the leftovers.
To serve 4
Sauce
2 medium aubergines, chunkily chopped
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 x 390 g cartons of chopped tomatoes (I was lazy and didn’t prep my own tomatoes)
8 sundried tomatoes, diced
175g feta, chopped
Handful of basil leaves, torn
Pinch of sugar
Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
Pasta– I used gluten free penne, but any you fancy will do
Step 1
-Chop up the vegetables and crush the garlic
– Heat up a dash of olive oil in a shallow, non-stick wide-based pan
– fry up the onion and garlic until translucent and then add the aubergines
– season with salt and pepper and cook until the aubergines start to brown
Step 2
– Add the tomatoes and pinch of sugar to the vegetables, lower hear and simmer gently (for as long as you’ve got) to allow sauce to thicken.
– Season again if desired
– tear up the basil leaves and stir into sauce as it simmers
Step 3
– whilst the sauce is cooking, if you are planning to eat this straight away, start cooking up the pasta in some salted water.
– once the pasta is al dente, drain and return to the pan
Step 4
– remove the sauce from the heat and stir through the chopped feta
– stir the sauce through the pasta
– serve on a bed of rocket, garnished with basil and enjoy!
An Epicurean in Hong Kong 