Pasta alla Norma

📝 Ingredients

• 360 g dried short pasta (such as rigatoni or penne)
• 2 aubergines (about 300 g each)
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes (800 g in total)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp olive oil (3 for the aubergines, 1 for the sauce)
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 15 g fresh basil (about ½ pack)
• 200 g ricotta
• 40 g grated Parmesan
• 100 ml pasta cooking water
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Large sauté pan
• Large saucepan
• Colander
• Chef's knife
• Chopping board
• Wooden spoon

📖 Steps

1. Wash the aubergines, remove the stalks and cut them into cubes of about 2 cm, without peeling. Peel and finely slice the garlic cloves. Pick the basil leaves, keeping a few nice whole leaves for serving.
2. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in the large sauté pan over a medium-high heat and brown the aubergines for 10 to 12 min, stirring occasionally, in two batches if they don't fit in a single layer. Don't add more oil: aubergine soaks it up, then releases it as it cooks. Season with salt and set aside.
3. In the same pan, over a medium-low heat, add the last spoonful of oil and fry the garlic for 1 min without letting it colour (burnt garlic turns bitter). Add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, oregano and half the basil, torn, then season with salt and pepper.
4. Simmer the sauce uncovered over a low heat for 15 min, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly. Then add the aubergine cubes and cook for a further 5 min so they soak up the sauce.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta for 1 min less than the packet instructions, so it stays al dente. Scoop out 100 ml of the cooking water before draining.
6. Tip the drained pasta into the pan and toss for 1 min over a low heat, adding the cooking water a little at a time if the sauce is too thick, until the pasta is well coated. Stir in the rest of the basil and half the Parmesan.
7. Serve in shallow bowls, top each portion with 2 generous spoonfuls of ricotta, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, add a grind of pepper and garnish with the reserved basil leaves.