🍆 Pasta alla Siciliana Recipe
Easy pasta alla siciliana with melty mozzarella and caramelised aubergine. A delicious 25-minute vegetarian dinner the whole family loves.
Ingredients
- 250 g aubergine (eggplant)
- 1 litre oil for deep frying the aubergine 1
- 200 g pasta
- 2 teaspoon salt for cooking the pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 50 g small tomatoes I used piccolo, san marzano are also great 3
- 250 ml passata
- 1 sprig basil
- 200 g mozzarella drained weight
- 50 g mozzarella drained weight, for serving
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or deep fat fryer, heat 1 litre oil until it reaches around 180℃ (355℉). 1
- Cut 250 g aubergine (eggplant) into large chunks. Once the oil is hot, fry the aubergine for a few minutes until golden. Drain off any excess oil on a cooling rack, and set aside.
- Add plenty of water and 2 teaspoon salt to a large saucepan over medium-high flame. Bring the water to a rolling boil, then add 200 g pasta2. Let the pasta cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, but reserve a mug of its cooking water. While the pasta cooks, I recommend continuing on with the other steps.
- In a large frying pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil . Once hot, add 1 clove garlic (sliced), ¼ teaspoon red chilli flakes, and 50 g small tomatoes 3. Let the aromatics sauté gently until the oil is infused, then immediately add 250 ml passata and 1 sprig basil (leaves roughly torn, stem discarded).
- Let the passata cook for five minutes or so, stirring now and then.
- Add the cooked pasta and aubergines to the pasta sauce. If necessary, add a dash or two of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Mix well and taste for seasonings; if more salt is needed, add it now, then turn off the flame.
- Cut 200 g mozzarella into chunks. Scatter over the top of the pasta and cover with a lid. Let the pasta cook for a minute or two, until the mozzarella melts, then stir through.
- Serve the pasta alla Siciliana with 50 g mozzarella on top of each serving and more fresh basil.
Notes
¹ Deep-frying aubergine is the traditional Neapolitan and Sicilian way. However, you can shallow-fry, pan-fry, or oven-bake your aubergine if you prefer. Expect the recipe to take slightly longer using these methods.
² I’ve used maccheroni al ferretto, a long rolled pasta originating from Calabria in Southern Italy. However, you could use ziti, maccarruna, casarecce, rigatoni, or even penne. I don't recommend using long pasta (like spaghetti). We want a shape that the pasta sauce can cling to.
³ I've used gorgeous heirloom Piccolo tomatoes, but San Marzano would be my next choice. If you don't have access to these varieties, standard fresh cherry tomatoes are fantastic.
Nutrition
Calories: 480kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 22gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 418mgPotassium: 626mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 899IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 348mgIron: 2mg
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