Pasta with Tomatoes and Aubergine Recipe

Francesco Mazzei serves the Sicilian classic, pasta alla norma or pasta with aubergines and tomatoes. Francesco uses zitoni pasta, however, other tubular pastas such as penne or candele lunghe are good alternatives. This recipe is taken from Francesco Mazzei's book, Recipes from Southern Italy, (Penguin Random House, November 2015).

Ingredients

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Pasta alla norma

2 tbsp of olive oil
1 garlic clove
8 basil leaves, plus a few extra for ganish
10 anchovy fillets, drained
1 tbsp of capers
400g of zitoni pasta
1 aubergine, halved lengthways
500ml of sunflower oil
plain flour, for dusting
2 tbsp of pecorino
2 tbsp of ricotta, shavings

Tomato sauce

300g of white onion, very finely sliced
4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1kg large ripe tomato
2 garlic cloves
20 basil leaves
sea salt

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Begin by making the tomato sauce. Put the onion into a saucepan with half the oil and let it sweat slowly over a low-medium heat for around 15 minutes until it's soft (do not allow it to colour). If it looks as though it might catch, add a splash of water to the pan

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
300g of white onion, very finely sliced

Add the tomatoes and season with salt. Leave to simmer over a low heat for about 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are thick and rich, adding a little water if the level of the liquid gets too low. Remove from the heat

sea salt
1kg large ripe tomato

Put the remaining oil in another pan with the garlic and cook over a low-medium heat. When it's almost golden brown, add the basil leaves and stir. Pass the oil through a sieve into the cooked tomato sauce

20 basil leaves
2 garlic cloves

Whisk the sauce to break up the tomatoes. If it's too thick, thin it with a little water, ideally some pasta cooking water. Pass the sauce through a wide-holed sieve resting over a bowl, and use the back of a ladle to extract the smooth mixture. Check the seasoning and add more salt if neccessary

To make the aubergine and tomato pasta, place the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and sweat the garlic until golden

1 garlic clove
2 tbsp of olive oil

Add the basil, anchovies, capers and 250ml of the tomato sauce and heat through, then keep on a low heat

1 tbsp of capers
8 basil leaves, plus a few extra for ganish
10 anchovy fillets, drained

Cook the zitoni according to the packet instructions, until al dente, then drain, reserving 240ml of the cooking liquid

400g of zitoni pasta, /chefs/francesco-mazzei

While the pasta is cooking, heat the sunflower oil in a deep saucepan or fat fryer until it reaches 185°C

500ml of sunflower oil

Dust the aubergine slices with flour and fry the aubergines until nice and golden. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. It is important to coat the aubergines in the flour as this stops the oil getting to the flesh and prevents the aubergines going soggy

1 aubergine, halved lenghtways
2 tbsp of pecorino

Stir the pasta into the sauce with about a ladleful of the reserved cooking liquid. Mix well, add the pecorino, then divide between warmed serving bowls, top with the fried aubergine slices, then sprinkle over the ricotta and extra basil leaves