I have been making variations on this glorious high-summer dish for years – the perfect marriage of Italian flavours.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
2 small eggplants, halved lengthways
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
sea salt and ground pepper
3 garlic cloves, crushed
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
finely grated zest 1 lemon
400-gram tin chopped tomatoes in juice
300 grams small cherry tomatoes
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
350 grams spaghetti
2 tablespoons capers
parmesan, finely grated, to serve
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 190°C fan bake.
Slice the eggplants into 1cm-thick half-moons, then toss with ¼ cup of the olive oil. Spread out across 2 oven trays and roast for 15-20 minutes, until softened and golden around the edges.
Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and lemon zest and cook for 1 minute. Add the tinned and fresh tomatoes, white wine, tomato paste and sugar and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta following the packet instructions, reserving 3 tablespoons of the cooking water.
Stir the eggplant into the sauce along with the capers. Season to taste, then add the spaghetti and reserved cooking water to the pan and toss to combine. Divide between four bowls and top with parmesan to serve.
latest issue:
Issue #122
Our latest of dish is an absolute bumper issue, packed with over 70 recipes! We start by chatting with the MasterChef Australia judges and Kiwi contestant Ben Mcdonald before cooking up the very best of what’s in season. Then we make freezer meals easy and delicious with double-batch cooking. Next up we share some of our faves including Pretzel-crumbed Chicken Schnitty and French Onion Soup Mac and Cheese. Then we whip up warming curries, tempting dinners for two, epic sides like our Parmesan-crusted Roasted Potatoes, and crowd pleasers like our cover-star Miso French Onion Chicken. We finish up with irresistible sweet treats and a run-down of top Aussie shiraz!