Serving size: Serves 4
Cuisine type: Italian
Cooking time: Less than 30 minutes
Course: Main
Favourite flavours: Easy recipes, Pasta, Spicy
Convenience recipes: four or less

Real Living recipe for pasta della casa.

INGREDIENTS

Salt
500g rigatoni pasta
3 tbsp olive oil
1 Spanish onion, sliced
400g Lebanese eggplants, halved & sliced
5 garlic cloves, sliced finely
½ tsp chilli flakes (for mild heat - add more if you like it spicy!)
Handful of fresh oregano leaves
2/3 cup red wine (like cabernet merlot)
2½ cups tomato passata
1 tbsp sugar
Cracked black pepper
Handful of basil leaves
200g Danish fetta
Finely grated parmesan, to serve

Equipment
Sharp knife
Chopping board
Grater
Large saucepan
Colander
Large frying pan
Spoon

METHOD

Bring saucepan of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to packet instructions, to al dente. Drain and reserve ¼ cup pasta water.

Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and eggplant, and cook for 7 mins until lightly golden. Add garlic, chilli flakes and oregano leaves and cook for a further 3 mins.

Add red wine to frying pan and boil for a few mins to evaporate alcohol. Add passata, sugar and pasta water, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 mins, then stir through most of the basil leaves.

Serve Spoon sauce over pasta, then top with fetta, parmesan and remaining basil leaves.