Macaroni with aubergine and tomato sauce can be served with white wines that are rather structured and persistent, such as Sicilian Falanghina or Grillo wines.
Macaroni with aubergine, olive, and tomato sauce
Macaroni with aubergine and tomato sauce is a very fast first course recipe, especially suitable for the summer when aubergines are in season.
Chef Danilo Angè
Difficulty: easy
Method: 5
Cooking: 25
Chef Danilo Angè
Difficulty: easy
Method: 5
Cooking: 25
Method
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01 / Prepare the aubergines and tomatoes
Cut aubergines into 1.5-cm cubes
Peel tomatoes with a potato peeler, cut in half and remove seeds, then julienne
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02 / Prepare the sauce
Heat extra virgin olive oil, chopped chili pepper, and peeled garlic clove in a pan
Brown garlic and chili pepper without burning
Remove garlic when it is golden and add cubed aubergines
Brown aubergines over high heat
When they are browned, add chopped tomatoes, julienned tomatoes, pitted olives, and basil leaves
Add salt and pepper to taste
Cook sauce for about 10 minutes, until the tomato thickens
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03 / Cook the pasta
Throw macaroni in salted, boiling water
Stir immediately and keep water at a boil while they cook, stirring occasionally
Check the cooking to ensure pasta is al dente before draining
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04 / Finish cooking the pasta
Drain pasta once it is al dente
Transfer pasta to the pan of sauce with a drizzle of cooking water
Leave pasta to infuse for a couple of minutes so it fully absorbs the sauce’s flavour
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05 / To serve
Distribute macaroni among serving dishes
Finish with a sprinkling of grated aged ricotta
Wine pairing
Macaroni with aubergine and tomato sauce is a very fast dish and should be prepared immediately before serving.
The garlic should turn golden without burning, so brown it over low heat.
Do not overcook the pasta—it should be cooked perfectly al dente.
Do not drain the pasta completely; a drizzle of cooking water facilitates the emulsification process, producing a creamy end result.
Do not serve overcooked pasta; it should be served immediately after plating.
Macaroni with aubergine and tomato sauce should be eaten immediately after cooking; if you really have leftovers, you can keep them in the refrigerator for a day, reheating them in a pan with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before serving.
Macaroni with aubergine and tomato sauce is a very fast first course recipe, especially suitable for the summer when aubergines are in season.
As with all simple dishes in the Italian tradition, the quality of the ingredients is of the utmost importance, so make sure the chopped tomatoes you choose are of high quality.
The quality of the pasta also impacts the outcome of the recipe, so opt for artisan pasta! The coarse texture produced by the combination of slow drying, bronze die extrusion, and the use of special grains will leave you the amount of starch necessary for the emulsification at the end.
We suggest using black Taggiasche olives, which are particularly delicious and well-adapted to cooking, but you can replace them with other olives of your choosing.
If you have trouble finding aged ricotta you can replace it with Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, or Pecorino.
Ingredients for 4 people
400 g macaroni
400 g chopped tomatoes
200 g plum tomatoes
300 g aubergines
40 g extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 hot chili pepper
20 black olives, pitted
5 basil leaves
40 g aged ricotta
Salt and pepper
Wine pairing
Macaroni with aubergine and tomato sauce can be served with white wines that are rather structured and persistent, such as Sicilian Falanghina or Grillo wines.
