Busiate con pesto di melanzane (pasta with aubergine puree) - Sicilia
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Categories: Healthy, Dairy free* eliminate the cheese, Gluten free*use gluten free pasta, Vegetarian, Season: Summer
This is a simple, healthy and easy sauce to make. It can also be used to be served with lamb as in this recipe, in a sandwich or spread on toasted bread and topped with sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained with some grated ricotta salata.
Traditionally, the garlic is not roasted but I like to roast it to mellow the flavour. The aubergine can be grilled or cubed and fried but I like to bake it as it is lighter, healthier and simple to prepare.
This is a simple, healthy and easy sauce to make. It can also be used to be served with lamb as in this recipe, in a sandwich or spread on toasted bread and topped with sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained with some grated ricotta salata.
Traditionally, the garlic is not roasted but I like to roast it to mellow the flavour. The aubergine can be grilled or cubed and fried but I like to bake it as it is lighter, healthier and simple to prepare.
Author: Woo Wei-Duan
Recipe type: First Course (Primo)
Cuisine: Sicilia
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 350 grams busiate or fusilli pasta
- 1 large aubergine, rinsed and dried
- 4 garlic cloves left whole (if roasting, 2 cloves, skinned and finely chopped if not)
- 40 mls extra-virgin olive oil
- 75 grams pecorino and/or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
- 10 leaves mint or basil, rinsed and dried
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven 180C.
- Prick the skin of the aubergine all over.
- Wrap the aubergine in foil.
- I like to make extra roast garlic when I make it so I will do a whole head of garlic in one go. I use the rest of it to serve with meat, roast potatoes and spread on sandwiches. Cut the top ½ cm off the top of the garlic head.
- Wrap the garlic cloves in foil. Bake the garlic for 45 minutes and the aubergine for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- When the garlic is cool enough to handle, unwrap the foil and discard. Remove the garlic cloves from the skin. Bring a large pot of 8 litres of water and 80 grams of salt to boil to cook the pasta.
- When the aubergine is cool enough to handle, remove the foil and discard.
- Use a small knife to pierce the skin and peel the skin away from the flesh and discard.
- Place the aubergine flesh, garlic cloves, pecorino and/or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, lemon juice, 40 mls olive oil and mint or basil in a food processor and blend until creamy. Add salt to taste. Cook the pasta for the time indicated in the recipe or if using dried pasta, the time indicated on the package. Drain the pasta and toss with the aubergine puree. Serve with grated pecorino cheese.
