Pasta ‘al Forno’ with Roasted Aubergine and Mozzarella
There are few things as warmth-inducing as a big, Italian woodfired oven, or the dishes that they produce. ‘Al forno’ describes dishes which have been oven baked and for this hearty recipe, we’ve combined the creaminess of our incredible mozzarella with the delicious saltiness of black olives. The trick here is to pack your pasta nice and tightly into the oven dish and cook it long enough for the mozzarella to melt and hold the pasta together.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
Ingredients
1
Aubergine
(May contain traces of: Celery)
½
Onion
2
Garlic Clove
4
Mature Cheddar Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1
Black Olives
1
Chopped Tomatoes
½
Dried Oregano
200
Wheat Penne Pasta
(Contains: Cereals containing gluten)
½
Basil
1
Mozzarella
(Contains: Milk)
1
Balsamic Vinegar
(Contains: Sulphites)
1
Wild Rocket
1
Pine Nuts
Utensils
Instructions
Pre-heat your oven to 220 degrees. Chop the very top and bottom from the aubergine and then cut it in half lengthways. Slice each half lengthways into five pieces then chop it into 2cm cubes. Coat in 1 tbsp of olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and roast on a baking tray for 20 mins.
Peel and finely chop half the onion and the garlic. Grate the cheddar. Chop up the olives (removing any stones).
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a nonstick frying pan on medium-low heat. Cook the onion and garlic for around 5 mins, or until soft. Tip: You only want to soften the ingredients, not brown them off.
Boil a large pot of water with ¼ tsp of salt, for your pasta. Add the chopped tomatoes, dried oregano and olives to the onion mixture. Turn the heat to low and slowly cook the sauce until the aubergine is cooked (in the oven). Tip: Once the excess water in the tomatoes has gone and the sauce has thickened, it is ready.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water for about 10 mins or until ‘al dente’. Tip: Pasta is ‘al dente’ when it is cooked through but has a hint of firmness in the middle.Once the aubergine is soft and a little crispy around the edges mix it into the tomato sauce.
Drain the pasta and mix it thoroughly into the sauce. Tear the basil and mozzarella into small pieces and stir through the pasta. Pour the pasta into an ovenproof dish.
Scatter the grated cheddar cheese across the top and put the dish in the hot oven. Cook for around 10-15 mins or until the cheddar is browned off and crispy.
Drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar over the rocket. Sprinkle on a pinch of salt and pepper and the pine nuts. Tip: You can brown the pine nuts off by putting them in the oven for 5 mins. Serve a healthy spoonful of your pasta with the rocket salad on the side.
