Sicilian Penne Caponata
with Tuscan Sausage
- Sulphites
- Cereals containing gluten
- Milk
- May contain traces of allergens
- Celery
This recipe was born out of Patrick’s love for all things Italian. Caponata is also one of Sicily’s best kept secrets, soo, mum's the word. We don’t want to get in trouble with the locals!
Ingredients
1
Aubergine
(May contain traces of: Celery)
1
Red Onion
2
Garlic Clove
1
Red Pepper
15
Olives
250
Tuscan Pork Sausage
(Contains: Sulphites, Cereals containing gluten)
1.5
White Wine Vinegar
(Contains: Sulphites)
1
Chopped Tomatoes
180
Wheat Penne Pasta
(Contains: Cereals containing gluten)
20
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Utensils
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 220°C. Slice the aubergine in half lengthways then chop into 2cm cubes. Halve, peel and chop the red onion into roughly ½ cm pieces. Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press). Halve the remove the core from the red pepper and slice into 1cm wide strips.
Spread the aubergine and pepper out on a baking tray. Drizzle over some olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper. Pop on the top shelf of your oven. Roast until soft and a little crispy around the edges, about 20 mins.
Put a glug of olive oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the red onion and garlic. Slice open the sausage and add the meat to the pan (discard the skin). Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook for 5 mins. Then add the vinegar to the pan cook until almost evaporated.
Tip the diced tomatoes into the pan and then half fill the tin(s) with water and add this to the caponata. Season with salt, black pepper and a pinch of sugar (if you have some). Leave to simmer and thicken, 10-15 mins.
Add the penne to your pan of boiling water. Cook until 'al dente', about 6 mins. Tip: 'Al dente' simply means the pasta is cooked through but has a tiny bit of firmness left in the middle.
Once the aubergine and pepper are ready, remove from your oven and stir into the tomato sauce along with the olives. We like to leave our olives whole for contrast but chop them up if you'd like them to blend into the sauce. Or leave out altogether if you're not a fan! Drain the pasta in a colander and combine with the caponata. Serve in big bowls with the parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Buon appetito!
