PASTA ALLE MELANZANE -WITH AUBERGINES

This is a very easy recipe for pasta with aubergines and it started like this...

I opened my fridge and I found deep sadness. Standing there, leaning my arm on the fridge door I asked myself: "what I can cook with cheese and aubergines?". The inspiration came in no time. When you dont have any ingredient in the fridge and if you have some italian background, you surely want to cook pasta. I walked to the kitchen slowly, as an idea was forming in my mind. Tomatoes sauce, dry red chillies, onions, garlic and obviously pasta. Pasta alle melanzane!

Time: 30-40 minutes
Ingredients:

• Pasta corta (short pasta like penne, farfalle, fusilli etc.)
• Aubergines
• Onions
• Garlic
• Red Chilly (not necessarily)
• Olive Oil (Extra-Virgin always...)
• Butter (optional)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Cut the aubergines into small squares and boil them in salted water till they become soft and brownish in color. I decided to boil them because I wanted to cook them fast. You can always cover them with some salt for about 30 minutes, let them loose their water, rinse and dry them. Very long for my standards.

• In a large vessel boil the water to cook the pasta. Cut onions, garlic, chillies and fry them in a pan with olive oil. When the onions turn "blond" add the aubergines. Add some salt and pepper and cook it in medium flame for about 10 minutes.

• Add the tomatoes sauce and a cup of water. Cover partially with a lid and cook it gently for 20 minutes. Stir often. When the water is almost evaporated remove the lid and let it cook for 5 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

• If the water for the pasta boils, ADD 1tbls OF SALT. This is a must. IT'S UNTHINKABLE TO BOIL PASTA IN UNSALTED WATER. Add the pasta and stir it.

• Drain the cooked pasta and add some butter. Again, I most of the time think butter as optional and I dont use it in my daily cooking. But this time I had to make a very yummy pasta (some husband-wife issues about forgiveness and a good meal is an efficient weapon for a wife). Adding some butter to the pasta makes a big-tasty-difference, especially if you are cooking with tomatoes.

• Add the pasta into the aubergines sauce, low the flame to a minimum, stir it, stir it and stir it again very gently. Switch the flame of, add the cheese and stir it again. 

Crush pepper, some more cheese and serve it.
If you have any question or suggestion you know how to find me.

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