Slow Roast Tomato and Aubergine Pasta
Since my student days, I have had a real fixation on tomato and mascarpone pasta. Although the jars of the stuff serve a purpose, slow-roasted tomatoes create a ludicrously tasty base that is unparalleled. Whizz them up with mascarpone, and you get magic. The addition of burnt aubergine to the mix is a smoky triumph - I tend to cook mine directly over a flame, but you could cook it under a grill if you don’t have a gas hob.
Serves 2
250g medium sized tomatoes
1 aubergine
80g mascarpone
1 clove of garlic
Handful of parsley leaves
1 tsp chilli flakes
½ lemon
200g fusilli
salt, pepper and olive oil
Heat your oven to 160°C.
Halve your tomatoes, and add these to a baking dish, Drizzle over 2 tbsp olive oil and a good pinch of salt, then roast them for an hour until they are really concentrated and soft.
Turn your gas hob onto a medium flame, and put your aubergine directly on top of it. Cook it for about 5 minutes, turning it frequently with metal tongs, until it is totally soft and the skin is charred and falling off it. Set it aside to cool on a plate.
Bring a medium sized pan of water up to a boil. Salt it generously.
Peel and finely chop your garlic. Finely chop your parsley too.
Once your aubergine is cool enough to handle, peel off the charred skin and discard it. Mash up the flesh with a fork.
Once your tomatoes are cooked, pop them into a blender with their juices. Add your mascarpone, and blend it to a smooth sauce.
Pour your fusilli into your pasta water, and cook it until it is al dente.
Heat a saute pan over a low heat with 3 tbsp of olive oil. Add your garlic and chilli flakes, and cook these gently for a minute until they are fragrant. Tip in your tomato sauce and simmer for 2 minutes until it is bubbling.
Get your aubergine in the saucepan, along with all but a handful of your parsley, and mix it to combine.
Remove a mugful of your pasta water, then drain your pasta. Tip your pasta into the sauce, then add a splash of pasta water. Give it a really good mix to bring it together as a glossy sauce, then add the zest and juice of your lemon half. Season it to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon your pasta into bowls, then sprinkle it with your remaining parsley and parmesan. Serve it up.