Friday, September 7, 2012

Aubergine pomodoro wholewheat pasta with sicilian olives


This is a perfect pasta for a night in early spring, with the warm depth of the slowly cooked aubergine and tomato sauce given lightness by the addition of mushrooms and red peppers thrown in right before serving. 

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:
1 pk wholewheat pasta
1 spanish onion, finely diced
salt & pepper
1 tsp brown sugar
2 massel cubes
~ 3 C water
1 large aubergine, peeled and finely diced 
3 cans diced tomatoes
3 large carrots, peeled & finely diced
2 zucchini, finely diced
1/2 C sliced sicilian olives
1 red chili, finely diced
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
2 handfuls sliced mushrooms
1 small red pepper, deseeded & finely sliced
2 T italian parsley
1 T capers

Method:
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a liberal amount of salt. Add the wholewheat pasta, stirring occasionally - it takes an eon to cook!!
In a large wok, add the onion, season with freshly ground salt and pepper and add the tsp of brown sugar. Sauté quickly and then add the massel cubes and 1 C water to prevent the onion from sticking.
Add aubergine and another cup water. Cover with a lid and steam for roughly 10 minutes.
Remove lid and if the aubergine is soft go ahead and add the cans of tomato, followed by the diced carrot. Stir well and cover again, for another 10 minutes.
Remove lid and add the zucchini, sicilian olives, half the diced red chili, the vinegar and the final remaining cup of water. Stir and simmer for another 5 - 10 minutes.


By this stage the wholewheat pasta should be cooked! If not, there's no harm, you can't ruin the sauce by keeping it simmering away until the pasta is cooked. 
Once the pasta is done, fantastic. Drain and pop it back into it's pasta pot, throwing in the sliced mushrooms, red pepper, capers, parsley and remaining chili. 


Mix through and again season with salt & pepper. 
Then add the aubergine and tomato sauce. 
Mix thoroughly then voila.. your pasta is ready!



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