I had a similar dish when I was on holiday in Rome a few years ago and never attempted to make it until now. I'm really running out of ways to make pasta exciting, so I gave it a go. The picture doesn't really do it justice, there are two balls of mozzarella running through the tomato sauce which melt and make the sauce creamy and it does that stringy thing too. I also roasted the onions and the aubergines to give them a slightly more smoky taste before adding them to the sauce, I think it is better this way as the aubergine doesn't get too soft either and it does need a bit of texture.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 Large Aubergine (Diced)
1 Onion (Diced)
3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
1 Packet Penne Pasta
2 Balls Mozzarella (Chopped)
1 Jar Passata
2 Cloves Garlic (Finely Chopped)
1 Handful Basil Leaves (Chopped)
1 Tsp Oregano
Salt & Pepper
Roast the aubergine and onions in a glug of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar with a pinch of salt and pepper. Roast them in the over on 200 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Place a pan of salted water on to boil, when boiling add the pasta and leave for 10-15 minutes until cooked al dente.
Add the passata and garlic to a pan with the chopped mozzarella and oregano. Leave to cook until all the mozzarella has melted. Add the roasted vegetables and leave for a few minutes to soak up the sauce. While doing so, drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Serve with some chopped basil on top and lots of parmesan.
Not sure it quite lived up to the little restaurant near the Trevi Fountain where I had it first, but it makes a change from standard tomato pasta!
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