Recipe & photography by Izzie Cox.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 aubergine, cut into 2cm cubes
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
700g passata
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
300g Northern Pasta Co rigatoni
150g pitted green olives, halved
2 tbsp capers
1x 570g jar of butter beans, drained
100g baby spinach
30g fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
1 ball of mozzarella (or plant based mozzarella)
30g Parmesan (or a plant based alternative), finely grated
50g pine nuts
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan. Spread the aubergine out on a baking tray, and toss with 3 tablespoons of the oil and lots of salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes until soft and golden.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan on a medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chilli flakes and fennel seeds and cook for another couple of minutes until soft and fragrant.
Add the passata, red wine vinegar, sugar and plenty of salt and pepper to the pan and simmer until slightly reduced, around 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the rigatoni until al dente then drain.
Add the drained pasta, olives, capers, butter beans, baby spinach and most of the basil leaves (reserving a few for garnish) to the pan of tomato sauce. Stir, mixing until the spinach is wilted.
Transfer to a large baking dish, tear over the mozzarella and scatter with the Parmesan. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, top with the pine nuts and bake for a further 5 minutes until everything is golden. Garnish with the remaining basil and serve.
