This is a great way to eat your veggies! Eggplant is very underrated, in my opinion. If you prepare it properly it's such an awesome addition to a red sauce like this. Plus it's substantial enough to basically replace your meat, if you are doing a meat-free meal or of course vegetarian! This puttanesca is beautifully balanced with mixed olives, tangy capers and smoky bacon. Yes, mine has bacon - but leave it out to make it veggo!
Serves 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large eggplant, cut into 2cm cubes
4 rashers shortcut bacon, diced
400g tin crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup mixed olives (I used kalamata and big green ones)
1/2 cup capers
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked
1 tsp chili flakes
500g spiral pasta
Grated parmesan, to serve
Extra basil leaves, to serve
Method:
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.
Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggplant and bacon and fry for around 8 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the eggplant has softened.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and add the sugar and tomato paste. Add the olives, capers, basil and chili flakes and give it a good stir. Lower the heat and let it simmer for around 20 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta in the salted water. Usually it needs around 12 minutes but check the packet. Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water and drain the rest.
Add the pasta to the sauce and toss everything together, using the pasta water a dash at a time to loosen it up if need be. Your spirals should all be coated in that glorious red sauce.
Divide pasta between bowls and serve with parmesan and extra basil.
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