| Spaghettoni Barilla with eggplant, Sicilian tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella |
Serves 4
Ingredients
210 ml Barilla extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 eggplants, one cut into cubes, and the other thinly sliced and brushed with olive oil
350 g Sicilian cherry tomatoes, quartered
salt, sugar and cracked black peppercorn, to taste
250 g fresh basil leaves
70 g pinenuts
440 g spaghettoni Barilla (cooked according to package instructions)
1 tsp sea salt, to add to water for boiling pasta
150 g buffalo mozzarella
Method
1. To prepare tomato sauce, heat 110 ml Barilla extra virgin olive oil in a pan and saute half the garlic and all the shallots till brown.
2. Add cubed eggplant and Sicilian cherry tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes till soft. Season with salt, sugar and cracked black peppercorns. Set aside.
3. To make pesto sauce, blend the fresh basil leaves, remaining garlic, pinenuts and remaining Barilla extra virgin olive oil. Set aside.
4. To prepare pasta, cook pasta according to package instructions and add some sea salt for taste.
5. When al dente, drain pasta and add to the prepared tomato sauce. Heat the pasta and sauce for two minutes and toss well to coat the pasta with sauce.
6. Divide the pasta into four parts. Place 4 metal rings on a baking dish. Line the rings with the thinly sliced eggplant and spoon pasta into the rings.
7. Top with buffalo mozzarella and place in oven at 185°C and bake for 10 minutes to gratinate.
8. To plate, spoon the pesto sauce onto the four plates. Place each of the gratinated pasta on the centre of the plate or pesto sauce, remove metal rings and serve.
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