But then, during my weekly food shop, I walked past a beautiful, deep purple aubergine and my mind immediately drifted to one of my favourite dishes ever – pasta with aubergine and tomato sauce.

I first encountered this recipe in Jamie Oliver’s Dinners, a book I wrote about before in this blog. (Remember the Quesadillas?) I love aubergine and just had to try it, and it soon became one of those go-to recipes that you go back to again and again.

But now it’s time to address the elephant in the room:  aubergine, or eggplant.  It’s not the world’s most popular vegetable – incidentally, that honour goes to the humble potato.  In my experience, most people who think they won’t like aubergine, have never tried it. However, cooked correctly, it’s velvety texture will take on whatever you cook it with and it will deliver taste-wise again and again.  Besides, how can you not like anything that’s served with pasta!?

JAMIE’S DINNERS – PASTA WITH AUBERGINE AND TOMATO SAUCE 

In my book, Jamie Oliver is the King of Pasta. Seriously, if you enjoy pasta dishes (and who doesn’t?!), you could buy his cookbooks just for the pasta and risotto recipes alone. This recipe is completely meat free, so if you like to cut back on your meat consumption (or you’re a full-blown veggie!) this one’s for you.  Besides, it’s so full of flavour that die-hard meat eaters will love it too! 

Regular readers of this blog, know that I give the recipe exactly as it’s given in the book, with my own notes in italics. However, today I’m writing this blog in Upington, but the cookbook is unfortunately in Kimberley. Fortunately, I’ve made it so often, that I could probably make it in my sleep.  Trust me, this is Jamie’s recipe, but not in his words. Still, try it. You will like it!

1 large aubergine, cut into 1 cm cubes

Olive oil, for cooking

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic (or to taste)

2 x 400 g tins of chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

1 chopped fresh chilli or 1 dried chilli, crumbled (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 ball of fresh mozzarella (sometimes hard to get if you don’t live in the big city. I used the block version and just cut about half of it into cubes)

Freshly grated parmesan or any hard cheese

I know a lot of people like to salt their aubergines before cooking, but honestly, I don’t bother if the aubergine is fresh and plump.  Heat about two to three tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and add the aubergine, stirring it around so that it’s all coated.  Fry it for about seven or eight minutes over a medium heat, until the aubergine has softened a little bit and is turning brown. 

Add the onion and garlic and fry for another eight minutes or so, until the onion has softened and has some colour.  Add the two tins of tomatoes, the chilli - if using - and the tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.  Stir it through, add salt and pepper to taste and then you need to let the tomato sauce cook down while stirring every now and again (do this all over a medium to low heat).  In my opinion (mine, not Jamie’s), you need a good half and hour for the sauce to reduce and become thick and for the aubergine to soften nicely.  Taste again and season if needed.

Put on your pasta – preferable a short, chunky pasta like rigatoni – in plenty of boiling, salted water.  Once your pasta is cooked to your liking, drain it and mix it with the pasta sauce.  Gather everyone around the table and stir in the mozzarella.  The mozzarella will start to melt almost immediately and you’ll have a lovely, cheesy sauce.  Scatter with fresh parmesan and little bit of chopped basil.

Eat and enjoy, preferably with a glass of full-bodied red wine!