Ingredients

• 10oz - 300g Pene Pasta
• Handful of fresh basil
• 1 can 14oz - 400g peeled cherry tomatoes (or roma)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp hot chili falkes
• 1 x eggplant (large)
• 1 cup grated Ricotta Salata
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and Pepper

Steps

• Step 1

  Heat up a pot of water for your pasta. Bring to the boil, then salt. Then add pasta.

• Step 2

  Cut the eggplant into strips that are around 1cm in width, then cut in half.

• Step 3

  In a deep frying pan, heat up olive oil and fry the eggplant until brown. Place on absorbent kitchen paper.

• Step 4

  Using the same pan, wipe away the oil, add fresh oil along with chopped or minced garlic and chili. Fry garlic but do not brown.

• Step 5

  Add tomatoes and give them a slight crush. (If using larger roma tomatoes, crush further). Season with salt and pepper.

• Step 6

  Grate and add half the ricotta salata cheese into the sauce. Mix well.

• Step 7

  Add the egg plant (you can only add half and reheat the rest later for garnish on top), some torn basil leaves along with a little grated cheese in the sauce. Mix well.

• Step 8

  Drain pasta in a colander (keep a little pasta water) and add the pasta to the sauce, mix well, use pasta water to thin out if sauce is too thick or too dry as pasta absorbs a lot of liquid. You want a little bit of liquid left in the pan as you serve.

• Step 9

  Slice basil leaves add to pasta just before serving.

• Step 10

  Grate some more ricotta salata on top and garnish with basil leaves.

Little Tips

Some varieties of eggplant can be bitter, if that's the case, once sliced lengthwise, add pieces to a colander sprinkled with a generous amount of salt. Leave 30-60 minutes, wash away salt and pat dry before use.