Pasta Provençale with Roasted Aubergines & Olives
Recipe
I love pasta. I’m also crazy in love with herbs from Provence and even more so with olives. But whenever I cook pasta, I always try to secretly pack in as many vegetables as possible, otherwise I feel like I get carbohydrate overload. So here it is, a creation I made after getting inspired by the beautiful shape of the Farfalle that I got in Waitrose.
If you are going for the gluten option, I recommend the spelt fusilli from Biona Organic.
Equipment: baking tray, frying pan
Prep time: 5 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients
- 250g Farfalle pasta
- 2 small aubergines (smaller vegetables usually taste better!)
- 2-3 courgettes
- 150g green pitted olives
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
- 2 tbsp. rapeseed oil
- 2 onions, peeled and chopped
- 3-5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tbsp. cardamom pods
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 2 tsp. rosemary
- 1 tsp. thyme
- 1 tsp. marjoram
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. chilli flakes (optional)
- Fresh grounded pepper to taste
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220C.
2. Start by roasting the aubergines. Line a baking tray with a baking paper and using a silicon pastry brush spread a spoon of rapeseed oil all over it. Cut the aubergines into 1 cm rings and then align them on the baking paper. Using the pastry spatula, brush them with rapeseed oil on top as well. Place the tray in the oven for 15 minutes. If you sliced the aubergines a bit thicker, they might need another 5-10.
3. In the meantime cook the pasta according to its instructions. Once it’s al dente, drain it, add a spoon of oil and toss it well, this will prevent the pasta from gluing itself together. Set aside.
4. Add 2 tbsp. of coconut oil into a frying pan. Add onions and fry on a high heat stirring constantly for about 3-5 minutes. Do not leave the frying pan, as they will burn. About three minutes into frying the onions, crush the garlic and add it to the pan. Once the vegetables are brownish, turn down the heat.
5. Chop the courgettes into cubes and add them to the frying pan. Add all the spices and cook until the courgettes start producing juice, about 10 minutes.
6. Once the aubergines are roasted, chop them into cubes and add to the frying pan.
7. Add olives to the frying pan and toss well.
8. Add drained pasta, toss it all again and serve immediately.
Tip: if you are cooking in batches (like I mostly do, especially on Sundays for the week ahead), you can double the quantity and then have it for lunch or dinner the next day. Throw together a quick side salad to make it a bit different (tomatoes or round lettuce in vinaigrette for example) and voila! The pasta will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.