Ingredients for 4 people:
350 g Ricciole (wheat germ pasta)2 medium-size aubergines (approx. 500 g)1 kg tomatoes100 g aged pecorino cheese 10 basil leaves4 cloves of garlic12-13 tbsp extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper
Wash the aubergines and cut off the tops; dice them, put the pieces in a colander and sprinkle with a handful of coarse salt. Place a plate on top and leave for about half an hour to extract the bitter water content.
In the meanwhile, wash the tomatoes, pat them dry and then cut them into pieces. In a heavy-bottomed frying pan, heat 5 spoonfuls of olive oil and the cloves of garlic; as soon as they begin to brown, add the pieces of tomato, season with salt and pepper, stir and cook for 10-15 minutes. Rinse the pieces of aubergine thoroughly to remove the salt, “dry” them with a cloth (or kitchen paper) and cook for about 10 minutes in a heavy-bottomed frying pan, in which you have heated 7-8 spoonfuls of olive oil. Now tip the aubergine into the pan with the tomato, stir well and remove from the heat. Add the basil leaves, ripped up by hand, and the pecorino cheese in flakes.
Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water; strain it, tip it into the bowl with the sauce and stir well to mix everything together. Buon appetito!