Spaghetti Caponata

Caponata is a Sicilian dish featuring eggplants and tomatoes among other yummy things, and this is a pasta recipe inspired from it.

I usually cook 100 gr of spaghetti per person. The quantities I give here are for a 500gr packet. To cook the spaghetti properly use a large pot and a lot of salted boiling water. Cook al dente (usually around 8 minutes, but check), and refresh under cold running water. Keep some of the boiling water after cooking to use in the sauce.

For the sauce, in a pan with a little oil sauté:

• Onion, finely chopped, 1 large pc

• Red pepper finely chopped, 1 large pc

and when softened add:

• Garlic, finely chopped, 1 medium clove

Stir well and deglaze with:

• Wine, 2 tbsps

Add:

• Concentrated tomato paste, 3 tbsp, and a pinch of sugar

and mix to coat everything. Then add:

• Tomatoes, grated, 3 medium pcs

• Eggplant, cut in strips of about 2 cm thick, 2 pcs

and some water if needed. Cook for a few minutes until the eggplants are soft and the sauce reduced. Then add:

• Olive fillets, 1/3 cup

• Capers, 1/3 cup

the reserved pasta water and the spaghetti, and stir constantly for a few seconds, to coat the spaghetti with the sauce.

Top with:

• Parsley, finely cut

• Pine nuts, toasted

• Parmesan, grated