Ingredients (serves 4)

• 400 g fusilli pasta
• 1 aubergine, cubed
• 1 can of chopped tomato
• 20 fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup of Pantaleo extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Salt to taste

Preparation

Cook the fusilli as shown for spaghetti with aglio, olio e peperoncino (use that as your base recipe – this is the genuine Italian way of cooking pasta).
In a frying pan, heat the oil and brown the garlic and aubergine cubes (the aubergine will initially absorb a lot of oil, but then releases it, so make sure that you don’t get fooled into adding more oil!).
Cook until the aubergines are crispy.
Add the chopped tomatoes and reduce the sauce, stirring with a spoon.
Meanwhile, the fusilli will have reached al dente consistency; drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, after shredding the basil leaves by hand and adding them to the sauce (all herbs should be added fresh and at the appropriate time).
Mix in well and serve hot.