Aubergine, Sun-Dried Tomato & Ricotta Pasta

A wonderful 30 minutes family supper!

The magic of a jar of sundried tomatoes! Organic aubergines fried in the tomato oil with garlic before tossed with tomatoes and creamy ricotta.

If you are vegan you can substitute the ricotta with a vegan version, I got my hands on some amazing cashew ricotta from the clever people at

I love to add little bits of flavour and texture to my pastas, in this case a zippy herb salsa & some whizzed up pumpkin seed toasted breadcrumbs.

I do love tarragon and it is such a fantastic match with tomatoes.

Serves 4

I loved this with a salsa verde (green sauce in Italian) and some toasted breadcrumbs. You can serve this with a simple side salad.

• 300g short pasta (like penne, fussili or rigatoni)
• 1 large aubergine, cut into medium sized blocks
• 1 jar (180g) sun-dried tomatoes, drain, reserve oil and roughly chop tomatoes
• 2 small shallots, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 340g (1/2 a bottle) tomato passata
• 120g fresh ricotta
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked sweet paprika
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley or tarragon
• salt & pepper
• 1 small lemon and parmesan or pecorino cheese to garnish

1. Cook the pasta until al dente (soft but still with a bite) in plenty of salted water. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a saucepan, add the onions and aubergines and fry until soft and golden. The aubergines will absorb the oil, keep on adding a tablespoon of oil at a time to prevent the aubergines from sticking to the pot.
3. Once soft, add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chilli and paprika and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, passata and 2 teaspoons of salt and lots of pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
5. Stir in the ricotta and a few big splashes of the cooking water, stir until a sauce forms, adding more pasta cooking water if you need. Add the pasta and stir to combine well.
6. To serve, divide the pasta into four bowls, top with pecorino cheese, chopped herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, a dollop of the herb salsa and finally a sprinkle of the breadcrumbs. Enjoy!