Here at Spice Mountain we love aubergines! They are just so versatile, on top of being totally delicious! And of course, they marry so well with so many different spices and styles of cooking. This recipe is a simple pasta dish, quick and easy to prepare while being packed full of satisfying flavour. We use our Smoky Ragu blend to season the sauce, as it balances so well with the tomato base. It has the tiniest tingle of heat, but if you like, add some more zing with a sprinkle of chilli flakes. We like to use penne pasta with this one, but of course choose whichever you like. Incidentally, the ragu helps makes a fantastic veggie lasagne!
01.
Ingredients
1 aubergine, diced
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1tbs tomato powder
3tsp Smoky Ragu blend
2tsp Wild Herb mix
1tsp chilli flakes (optional)
02.
Method
- In a tablespoon of olive oil, gently saute the onion and garlic until soft. Then add the aubergine, and keep sauteeing for another few minutes. Add the tomato powder, and stir well.
- Now add the tin of tomatoes, the ragu blend and the herbs, and again stir well until the sauce is thoroughly mixed. Add a pinch of sugar and salt to taste.
- Add a little water to the sauce and then simmer on a low heat – 30 minutes will do the job, but it does no harm to let the sauce bubble away for up to an hour if you’re not in a hurry – the flavour will only improve! In this case keep an eye on the sauce to make sure it doesn’t dry out, adding a little water if necessary.
- Cook your pasta al dente, and add a spoonful of the cooking water to the sauce for an authentic Italian touch. Serve over pasta garnished with some chopped flat leaf parsley. All this really needs to accompany it are a crispy salad and a chilled bottle of Gavi.
