(un) Inspired Spaghetti

Puttanesca with aubergines

I'm not feeling very inspired today. Feel exhausted.

M had been ill for the last couple of days. We picked her up from school on Saturday afternoon and she looked ill. Poor child. So, she stayed at home on Monday. With walking the dog and odd jobs around the house, cleaning and cooking, I was completely worn out by Monday evening. Dinner had to be simple and uncomplicated (and quick with a starving teenager demanding food!). Digging around, I managed to come up with some bits and pieces and concocted this recipe which I realised later was (unknowingly) little bit of a variation on traditional Spaghetti Puttanesca .

I found an aubergine hiding in my food tray and so was determined to use it. Aubergine, Eggplant, Brinjal, Baingan, Melanzana as it's variously called through the world, it's an interesting and often under-used fruit. There's an interesting write-up here on the linguistic development of various names for Aubergine (as we call it in Europe) . If it's not completely geeky to admit it, I find this utterly fascinating!

So, the trick to using aubergines in any sauces is to chop it in small cubes, wash, pat dry and salt them and layer these in a colander, covering them with a fitted lid. Leave these for next 10 minutes or so, wash the salt off, and repeat the process a couple of times. This supposedly helps to get rid of the bitterness in the fruit, and makes it tender and easier to cook, especially when it's not being roasted beforehand. Also, it doesn't use as much oil when fried. I always follow this process although I do cheat and do not always repeat the process. It's debatable if this is really required as some believe that the bitterness has been bred out of the aubergines due to modern farming procedures, but it doesn't harm to do this if you have some time. Believe me, it does make a difference to the taste. Don't cook the aubergines in an aluminium pot or pan.

Ingredients:
1 medium size aubergine
olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 smallish onion
capers
tinned tomatoes
fresh or dried chilli flakes
ground cumin

So, I used one medium size aubergine and while this was being salted, I chopped 3-4 cloves of garlic, one small onion and slow fried them in 2 tbsp olive oil on a low flame so as to soften these but not brown them. I added some chilli flakes as M is a big fan of pasta sauces with a little heat. Fresh chilli would be better. Then I added the aubergine cubes (after they had been washed off the salt and patted dry with a paper towel), fried them till golden brown in the olive oil along with the onions and garlic on a low flame, and then added a can of good quality chopped tomatoes. Let the flavours soak in by letting the tomatoes simmer for a while and then add a little bit of water to this sauce, cover and let simmer for up to 30 minutes. The amount of water and the time it takes for the sauces to reduce and simmer down to the right consistency will depend on the amount of sauce, of course.

I added some chopped capers and fresh chopped coriander, along with some ground cumin to give it a earthy flavour that goes nicely with the aubergines. Season to taste with some salt and pepper and you are ready to go! Boil some good quality spaghetti until it's al dente, drain, and mix with the sauce to serve.

My pet peeve is when pasta is served with a bit of sauce on top. It is just not right.

This was a nice earthy, rustic sauce and complemented the spaghetti well, coated it well, and also would be perfect for a nice cold wintery afternoon (although we had it as a late evening meal).

Winner!