For ➍2 large eggplants
500 g small tomatoes, or canned plum tomatoes, drained
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
8 tbs salt
400 g spaghetti
4 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ teaspoon crushed dried chillies
large handful fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
100 g ricotta salata, finely grated (or feta cheese, crumbled)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
Cut off the tops and bases of the eggplants. Cut across into 2. Cut each piece lengthwise into sticks. Place into a colander and sprinkle with 1 ts of salt. Place the colander over a bowl and leave the eggplants for 30-40 m to disgorge some of their juices.
When using fresh tomatoes, squeeze them over the sink to get rid of most of their juices and seeds. Coarsely chop the tomatoes.
Pat the eggplants dry with kitchen paper to remove the salt and excess juices.
Heat 4 tbs of the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add ½ the eggplants pieces and fry, turning occasionally, until golden-brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Repeat for the remaining eggplant pieces.
Remove the pan from the heat to allow the oil remaining in the frying pan to cool.
Place 4.5 l water into a large pan and bring to the boil. Add the salt, then the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
Shortly before the spaghetti is ready, add the remaining olive oil and the garlic to the frying pan and return it to the heat. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the crushed chillies and the tomatoes and cook over a high heat for 2-3 m.
Add the eggplants and season .
Drain the cooked spaghetti. Add to the sauce.
Add the basil and ½ of the ricotta salata or feta. Mix well.
Spoon equal portions of the spaghetti and sauce into 4 warmed bowls and sprinkle each with the remaining cheese.
When using fresh tomatoes, squeeze them over the sink to get rid of most of their juices and seeds. Coarsely chop the tomatoes.
Pat the eggplants dry with kitchen paper to remove the salt and excess juices.
Heat 4 tbs of the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add ½ the eggplants pieces and fry, turning occasionally, until golden-brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Repeat for the remaining eggplant pieces.
Remove the pan from the heat to allow the oil remaining in the frying pan to cool.
Place 4.5 l water into a large pan and bring to the boil. Add the salt, then the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
Shortly before the spaghetti is ready, add the remaining olive oil and the garlic to the frying pan and return it to the heat. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the crushed chillies and the tomatoes and cook over a high heat for 2-3 m.
Add the eggplants and season .
Drain the cooked spaghetti. Add to the sauce.
Add the basil and ½ of the ricotta salata or feta. Mix well.
Spoon equal portions of the spaghetti and sauce into 4 warmed bowls and sprinkle each with the remaining cheese.
All ricotta (meaning 'recooked') varieties are Italian fresh whey cheeses, made from the leftover from the production of mozzarella, pecorino or provolone. To ferment the whey it is heated to make it curl. Then it is heated a second time, so the liquid can be seperated from the cheese. It is made from sheep or cow milk with regional differences.
Ricotta salata is produced from the whey of sheep milk on Sardinia and Sicily and has a mild, slightly salty taste, hence 'salata'. It is sold aged, drained and dried, and can then be crumbled like feta.It suits the bitterness of walnuts and pairs well with the chicory family, such as endives or radicchio di Treviso. It works alongside artichokes or wild mushrooms. Grate over gnocchi or pasta, such as cavatelli, or orchiette, or crumble it on top of a crisp green salad.
Read more spaghetti & linguine recipes: a quick spaghetti, spaghetti with scallops & tomatoes, scallops & rucola spaghetti, spaghetti alla carbonara, shrimps fra diavolo, raw tomato spaghetti, spaghetti with clams, spaghetti with small clams, spaghetti with oil & garlic, spaghetti alla puttanesca, Palermo spaghetti with tomatoes & mint, American-Italian spaghetti with meatballs, vermicelli with parsley sauce, shrimps & Brie linguine, butter & tomato pasta sauce, lemon pasta with sea spinach.
