Eggplant Pasta Sauce
1 hour 15 mins
serves 4
serves 4
Roasted eggplant folded into a garlicky tomato sugo with fresh basil. Add ricotta salata and you've got sugo alla Norma.
Easy
Ingredients
2 medium eggplants, cut into 2 cm cubes
Olive oil
Sea salt flakes
2 shallots (or 1 French shallot or 1 small brown onion), thinly sliced
3–4 garlic cloves, lightly bashed, skins on
1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
A handful of basil leaves (plus extra fresh ones to finish)
2 medium eggplants, cut into 2 cm cubes
Olive oil
Sea salt flakes
2 shallots (or 1 French shallot or 1 small brown onion), thinly sliced
3–4 garlic cloves, lightly bashed, skins on
1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
A handful of basil leaves (plus extra fresh ones to finish)
Method
Roast the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Spread the cubed eggplant on a baking tray, drizzle generously with olive oil, and season with salt. Toss to coat and roast for about 35-40 minutes, or until golden and soft, turning once halfway.
Make the sugo: Meanwhile, heat a good splash of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook gently until softened and sweet, about 5 minutes. Add the bashed garlic cloves and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add tomatoes and basil: Tip in the chopped tomatoes and a handful of basil leaves. Season with salt, then add about 1/2 of water, then simmer gently for 30 minutes, cover with a mesh lid, stirring occasionally.
Finish the sauce: Remove the garlic cloves skins, squeeze their softened flesh back into the sauce, and replace the now-wilted basil with a few fresh leaves for brightness. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Combine: Stir in the roasted eggplant cubes and let them mingle with the sugo for a few minutes.
Serve: Toss through al dente penne or rigatoni, or twirl it through spaghetti, then finish with extra basil and a drizzle of olive oil. If you add a little grated ricotta salata, you can call this Sicilian sugo alla Norma!
Roast the eggplant: Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Spread the cubed eggplant on a baking tray, drizzle generously with olive oil, and season with salt. Toss to coat and roast for about 35-40 minutes, or until golden and soft, turning once halfway.
Make the sugo: Meanwhile, heat a good splash of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook gently until softened and sweet, about 5 minutes. Add the bashed garlic cloves and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add tomatoes and basil: Tip in the chopped tomatoes and a handful of basil leaves. Season with salt, then add about 1/2 of water, then simmer gently for 30 minutes, cover with a mesh lid, stirring occasionally.
Finish the sauce: Remove the garlic cloves skins, squeeze their softened flesh back into the sauce, and replace the now-wilted basil with a few fresh leaves for brightness. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Combine: Stir in the roasted eggplant cubes and let them mingle with the sugo for a few minutes.
Serve: Toss through al dente penne or rigatoni, or twirl it through spaghetti, then finish with extra basil and a drizzle of olive oil. If you add a little grated ricotta salata, you can call this Sicilian sugo alla Norma!