Serves: 3 Preparation time: 5m Cooking time: 10m Ready in: 15m

A delicious pasta  dish with mature ricotta which gives it a special touch

Ingredients

½ pound pence
250g. mature ricotta
1 cup basil leaves
oil for frying eggplant

For the sauce

2 aubergines
1 pound fresh tomatoes
1 large grated onion
1 cup olive oil
1 tsp. vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. fresh oregano
1 tsp. tablespoons sugar
salt and pepper

Preperation method

Prepare the eggplant
step 1

Remove the stem from the eggplant and cut into large cubes. Salt them and let them get rid of their bitterness in a colander for about 1 hour. Then rinse them well and press them for any liquid.

step 2

Fry the cubes of eggplant in plenty of oil without being floured. Once browned remove them and touch them on absorbent kitchen paper.

Prepare the sauce

step 1

Pass the tomatoes through the mill to puree. In a saucepan, add the olive oil, heat it and fry the grated onion for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, stir and wait to boil. Add the bay leaves, oregano, sugar, vinegar and salt and pepper.

step 2

When the sauce is boiled pure in the fried cubes of eggplant and cook for about 20 minutes over medium heat until thick.

Prepare pasta

step 1

Cook the penne in plenty of salted water for 7-8 minutes. The strain and leave in the pan and pour half the sauce. Add the penne and stir well. In the remaining half of the sauce pour pieces of cream cheese without boiling the sauce again.

step 2

Serve penne on a platter and pour the remaining sauce and sprinkle with basil leaves.
Source: Olive magazine
Chef: Ilias Mamalakis
Photo: Giorgos Drakopoulos
Food Styling: Tina Webb