This is definitely our 'house pasta', cooked more regularly than any other pasta dish & the perfect antidote to any dinner dilemma. Depending on who it's cooked by, there are always some variation, but the basis is always the same and always the longer it simmers the better. I use beef stock in this for richness, but to make the dish actually vegetarian, substitute with marmite. For added depth of flavour, some dried porcini mushrooms make a nice addition, or we've been known to stir through a little spinach at the end.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 large red onion, diced
2tsp garlic paste (or 3 cloves garlic, minced)
1 tbsp tomato puree
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Slug of red wine
1 aubergine, chopped into chunks
2 tins chopped tomatoes
500ml beef stock (or 1tsbp marmite plus 500ml boiling water)
300g rigatoni pasta
3 balls mozzarella, torn
Method:
- In a heavy bottomed casserole dish, begin frying off the onion in a splash of olive oil. On a small ring on a low heat, allow the onions to soften slowly for around 10 mins.
- Once beginning to soften colour slightly, add the garlic, tomato puree & thyme, then turn up the heat and fry for 1 min. Pour in the wine and allow to simmer away for a further minute to cook out the alcohol.
- Add in the aubergine and fry for 5 mins until beginning to soften. Season, then add the tomatoes and stock. Stir to combine and then turn the heat back down to low and leave to gently simmer for at least 1 hour 30 minutes, but preferably 2 hours. Stir occasionally to stop it from catching, and pop the lid on if it's reducing too fast.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 10-12 minutes, then drain and allow to steam dry in the colander.
- Once the sauce has reduced and is nice and thick, stir through two thirds of the mozzarella and then the pasta. Make sure all the pasta is coated and the cheese has started to melt and become deliciously stringy!
- Serve into bowls with the remaining mozzarella piled on top, and a twist of pepper.
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