This is another recipe from Ursula Ferrigno's vegetarian cookbook Truly Italian. I have modified it slightly - in the original, the eggplant is fried alone with the wine, and the onion is added with the garlic and tomato, but I prefer the onion to be fried rather than essentially boiled.
| 1 medium | eggplant |
| 4 tablespoons | olive oil |
| 3 tablespoons | red wine |
| 1 | small onion, peeled and finely chopped |
| 1 | garlic clove, peeled and crushed |
| 400 g can | chopped tomatoes |
| 2 tablespoons | double cream |
| 1 tablespoon | finely chopped oregano |
| 1 tablespoon | finely chopped flat-leaf parsley |
| 350 g | penne or pennette |
| 2 tablespoons | freshly grated parmesan |
| sea salt and black pepper |
Cut the eggplant into small cubes, place in a colander, and toss with salt. Leave for 15 minutes. Rinse the cubes well to remove the salt and pat dry.
Heat the oil in a deep sided frying pan (or a saucepan will do), and fry the eggplant and onion for 5 minutes until eggplant is golden. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and tomatoes, bring up to the boil, and simmer for 15 minutes (you can add a little water if you like).
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.
Just before serving, stir the cream, oregano and parsley into the sauce, and check the seasoning. Drain the pasta, toss with the sauce in the frypan, and heat through. Serve hot with the parmesan and some extra chepped herbs sprinkled on the top.
Serves 4.
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