Tagliatelle con melanzane e feta

Ingredienti

• 2 (250g/ 9 ounces) medium sized eggplants (elongated, oval-shaped)
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped in small cubes
• 5 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 clove of garlic, whole
• 2 tbsps fresh basil or mint, chopped
• 150-200g feta cheese, crumbled (6-7 ounces)
• a pinch of sugar
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 250 g tagliatelle (9 ounces)

Preparazione

1. 1

   Preheat the oven at 250C. Chop the eggplants into cubes and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with some olive oil and bake for 15 minutes.

2. 2

   In the meantime, roughly chop the onions and the tomatoes. Place a large saucepan at medium-high heat, add 5 tbsps of olive oil and sauté the onions and the garlic, for 3 minutes, until soft. As soon as the onions are lightly colored, add 1 tsp of sugar and caramelize. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Turn the heat up and add the chopped tomatoes; cook for 5-6 minutes, with the lid on. At the end, remove the whole clove of garlic, add the baked eggplants and the herbs and season well with salt and pepper.

3. 3

   In the meantime, boil the pasta, according to package instructions. Without draining the pasta, remove the pasta from the water, using a large fork and add them into the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese and stir well. Serve on a big platter, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and top with some crumbled feta.