Ingredients

Before you start

Keep the serving dishes in the oven at the lowest setting so they are warm when you serve.

Put a colander in the sink to drain the cooked pasta so that it will be ready when needed.

Method

1. Preheat the peanut oil to 175°C/350°F in an electric fryer or in a large skillet.
2. Prepare the vegetables : Cut the aubergines crosswise into 1 cm thick slices, then coat the slices with cornstarch (the coating step is optional, its purpose being just to reduce the amount of oil absorbed). Finely chop the onion. Mince the garlic and chili pepper.
3. Deep fry the aubergine slices 2-3 min per side until they are golden-brown, then set them on paper towels to drain. Do only a few slices at a time. Alternatively, brush both sides of the slices with olive oil, place them on a baking sheet, then bake in a pre-heated 230ºC/450º F oven for about 15 min, or until nicely browned, turning them once. When the slices have cooled a bit after cooking, cut them into cubes, but leave some whole for a nicer presentation.
4. Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the onion and sauté 2-3 min over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the garlic and chili pepper then sauté for 1 min. Add the Tomato Base and raise the heat so that the sauce cooks at a fast bubble. Cook about 10 min, then lower the heat, add the ricotta and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.
5. While the tomato sauce cooks, cook the pasta. Put the drained pasta into the tomato sauce pan. Add the grated cheese and mix, then add the diced aubergines and toss again.
6. Serve in the warmed dishes, placing the whole (not cubed) aubergine slices on top of the pasta. Garnish with the fresh basil leaves.

Ingredients

Before you start

Method

1. Wash the tomatoes briefly, cut them in half and put them in a pot. Add the water and salt, cover, and cook for about 10-15 min until the tomatoes are softened.
2. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill. Discard the skin and seeds, then put the purée back into the pot that was used to cook the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low heat, uncovered, for about 1,5-2 h, until the volume has reduced to about one third of the original volume and the purée has reached the consistency of a sauce.
3. Let the purée cool down 30 min, then transfer it to small containers. Chill in the refrigerator then freeze.

Remarks