This is one of those dishes that I created in a flash. So very easy and so very good. The combination of flavors is pure magic. You have a little heat from the chili, some sweetness from the tomatoes and fried aubergine, and a round, creamy finish courtesy of a little ricotta. I think this one will be a keeper at our house!
Creamy & Spicy Spaghetti with Aubergine
Serves 3-4
- 1 medium aubergine, quartered and thinly sliced
- fleur de sel
- 6 tbsps olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (400 g)
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- freshly ground pepper
- 300-400 g spagehtti
- two large handfuls fesh basil leaves
- 2 heaped tbsps ricotta
Place the aubergine in a large colander and salt it generously. Heat three tbsps of the oil and gently sweat the onion and chili for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an extra minute or two, taking care it doesn’t brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cover the sauce and let it cook for 10 minutes. In the meantime, heat the rest of the oil in a large frying pan and fry the aubergine. After the sauce has cooked for ten minutes, bring a pan of water to the boil for the pasta. Remove the lid from the sauce, increase the heat, and finish cooking uncovered while the pasta cooks. Stir both the sauce and the aubergines regularly. Drain the pasta, saving about 50 ml of the cooking liquid. Stir the cooking water, half of the basil and half of the aubergines through the sauce, Stir in the ricotta. Finally stir in the drained pasta. Divide the pasta over bowls and top each bowl with the rest of the fried aubergine, the rest of the basil and a good grinding of fresh pepper. Enjoy!