Pasta with tomato sauce alla Parmigiana di Melanzane

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 300 g pasta, dry
• 800 g tomatoes, peeled
• 100 g tomato paste, triple concentrated
• 1 eggplant(s)
• 100 g carrot(s), diced
• 100 g celery, diced
• 1 bunch spring onion(s), in rings
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tomato(s), quartered
• 100g mozzarella
• 4 cl Marsala fine
• 1 tbsp, heaped sugar
• 50 g butter
• 3 basil leaves
• some sea salt
• lots of olive oil
• some pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours

Vegetarian

Trim or peel the vegetables before slicing. Peel the eggplant in half lengthwise just before frying (the slices will curl with the skin on). For the tomato sauce: Heat plenty of olive oil in a large pot. Peel the garlic and sauté it uncut, perhaps lightly pressed (I never do this), along with the spring onions. Then add the carrots and celery. Make sure there’s enough fat in the pot with the butter (use margarine for a vegan sauce). Cook everything with the lid closed until soft, stirring occasionally. Allow the sauce to evaporate occasionally to prevent too much water from condensing into the sauce. Sprinkle the soft-cooked vegetables with the sugar and then deglaze with Marsala fine. The pot should be as hot as possible. Push the vegetables to the side of the pot and add the tomato paste to the center of the pot, heat briefly, and mix with the vegetables. Add the tomato and canned tomatoes and reduce the heat (approx. 70%). Cover and reduce the heat. Don’t forget to stir and watch for splashes. The sauce should now simmer at about half heat. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a non-stick pan. Cut the peeled eggplant into approximately 5 mm slices and fry in the oil until the slices begin to brown. Top up with more olive oil if necessary (please do not use sunflower or other similar oils). Place the fried eggplant slices on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and top with the diced mozzarella. Fill a large pot with plenty of unsalted water and bring it to a boil. Just before adding the pasta, add salt (salt inhibits the water from cooking). Place the topped eggplant in a cold oven and heat to 220 degrees Celsius. Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Season the sauce with salt and a little pepper. Three minutes before the pasta is ready, remove the sauce from the heat, remove the garlic, and season with a drizzle of olive oil and the basil. Remove the baked eggplants from the oven. Drain the pasta water. Add a little butter to the pasta (to help the sauce adhere) and toss with the sauce. Transfer the pasta to large bowls and garnish with 4-5 baked eggplants. A sprinkling of basil wouldn’t hurt the finished dish either; after all, eating isn’t just about eating.