Aubergine and Ricotta Pasta⁠

Preheat the oven to 220°C/428°F.

Dice your aubergine into cubes, roughly 2cm wide. Add the aubergine to a large bowl and sprinkle 4 big pinches of salt over the top. Mix the salt through the aubergine and leave for 20 minutes.

Once 20 minutes is up, add the aubergine to a colander and rinse to remove the salt. Drain the aubergine and add it back into the bowl, patting dry with kitchen roll to remove any excess water.

Scatter the aubergine onto two trays, ensuring the pieces are well spread out. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil on top and mix it into the aubergine. Whack in the oven for 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Roast until soft and caramelised.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add a big glug of olive oil to a pan on medium heat. Finely slice your garlic, add it to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes. Drain and roughly chop your tomatoes before adding to the pan. Mix to combine the tomatoes and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Finely chop a handful of basil, saving a handful for later. Add one handful to the pan and stir through the sauce. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes.

Get your pasta on and salt the water.

Add the aubergine to the sauce with a glug of olive oil and stir through. Add the pasta to the sauce and give it a big mix. Season to taste.

Serve the pasta with 3 tsp of ricotta, a drizzle of olive oil, a good grind of pepper and a sprinkle of basil. Dig in! Enjoy!