Sicilian Pasta With Roasted Tomatoes and Aubergines
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 12 large tomatoes (roughly 2 lb)
- 1 large aubergine, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 large basil leaves, torn in half, plus a few extra
- basil leaves, for garnish
- 5 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 400F
- You will also need two baking trays measuring 14 x 10 inches.
- First of all place the aubergine cubes in a colander, sprinkle them with salt and leave them to stand for half an hour, weighed down with something heavy to squeeze out the excess juices.
- Meanwhile, skin the tomatoes by pouring boiling water over them and leaving them for 1 minute, then drain off the water and, as soon as they are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins.
- Cut each tomato in half and place the halves on one of the baking trays (cut side uppermost), then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Sprinkle over the chopped garlic, distributing it evenly between the tomatoes, and follow this with a few drops of olive oil in each one.
- Top each tomato half with half a basil leaf, turning each piece of leaf over to give it a good coating of oil.
- Now place the baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven and roast the tomatoes for 50-60 minutes or until the edges are slightly blackened.
- Meanwhile, drain the aubergines and squeeze out as much excess juice as possible, then dry them thoroughly with a clean cloth and place them in the other baking tray.
- Then drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil all over them and place them on the top shelf of the oven, above the tomatoes, giving them half an hour.
- Towards the end of the cooking time, cook the pasta.
- When the tomatoes and aubergines are ready, scrape them, along with all their lovely cooking juices, into a saucepan and place it over a low heat, then add the cubed Mozzarella and stir gently.
- Now drain the pasta, pile it into a warm bowl, spoon the tomato and aubergine mixture over the top and scatter over a few basil leaves.
spaghetti, tomatoes, aubergine, garlic, olive oil, basil, basil, mozzarella cheese, salt
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/sicilian-pasta-with-roasted-tomatoes-and-aubergines-280372 (may not work)