Recipe & photography by Florence Blair.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 aubergines, cut into 2cm cubes
100ml olive oil, plus extra drizzles for serving
100g walnuts, chopped into small, rubble-like pieces
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1-2 tsp fennel seeds, to taste
Pinch of chilli flakes
2 tbsp tomato puree
500g tomatoes (whichever variety looks best at the shops), roughly chopped
350g rigatoni
1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar, to taste
Parmesan for serving (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C fan. On a large roasting tray, toss the aubergine cubes with half the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, until very well browned.
Meanwhile, set a large, heavy-bottomed pot over a medium heat. Add the chopped walnuts and toast for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden. Scoop or tip out into a bowl and set aside.
Return the pot to the heat, add the remaining 50ml olive oil, the onion and a pinch of salt.
Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring every so often, until soft and golden. Turn the heat down slightly if they are taking on too much colour too quickly.
Add the garlic, fennel seeds and chilli flakes. Fry for a minute or two until fragrant then add the tomato puree and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring regularly, until brick red and sticky.
Add the tomatoes, cook for a few minutes until the skins begin to split then cover and leave to cook for a further 10 minutes until the tomatoes have released their juices.
As the tomatoes simmer, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the rigatoni until al dente.
Add the roasted aubergine and toasted walnuts to the tomato. Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer the rigatoni to the sauce, along with any splashes of pasta water that
piggy back with it. Toss well, adding more splashes of pasta water to loosen as needed, until each piece of pasta is nicely coated and the sauce has burrowed into the holes of the rigatoni. Finally, stir through the red wine vinegar and taste for seasoning. Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil and grated parmesan.
