PACCHERI WITH AUBERGINE CREAM, SLOW ROAST TOMATOES, TORN BURRATA & BASIL

The slow roast, mashed Aubergine that seemingly melts into a tomatoey sauce adds a wonderful depth in flavour to this vibrant pasta dish. 

Top it all with super fragrant roasted cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and torn burrata and you get yourself a gorgeous, veg packed dinner that will brighten up even the most gloomy of autumn days.

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large aubergines
• 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
• Salt
• Dried oregano
• Icing sugar
• Olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 300g peeled plum tomatoes, fresh or tinne
• Ripped fresh basil
• 400g paccheri,
• Ball of burrata

METHOD

• Roast the aubergines whole until they collapse, at 190°C for about 40 minutes, then remove from the oven. 
• Turn the oven down to 130°C.
• Put the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray, sprinkle with salt, dried oregano, icing sugar and olive oil, and put them into the oven for 45 minutes or until they wrinkle. 
• Put on one side.
• Scoop the flesh from the aubergine.
• In a large frying pan, warm some olive oil and the garlic, then add the peeled plum tomatoes, basil and a pinch of salt and allow to bubble for 15 minutes, or until they look saucey. 
• Add the aubergine and stir. 
• The aim is a sauce to coat the pasta, so you can pass it through a food mill (remove the garlic) or simply mash with a potato masher. 
• Pull from the heat.
• Cook the pasta until a minute off al dente, turn up the heat on the sauce, and drain or lift the pasta directly into the sauce pan and then swish gently to blend with the sauce and finish the last minute of cooking. 
• Add a bit more water if it looks dry – the consistency should be swishy.
• Tip the paccheri on to a large serving dish, and top with the cherry tomatoes, the torn burrata and more ripped basil.