Pasta is one of those universally loved and globally experienced foods that is so diverse in its iterations one could eat a different pasta dish for each day of the year without repeating or getting bored. And while I tend to cook more “Italian” style pastas, I love this dish because it incorporates a Mexican chile, the pasilla pepper, for a very subtle and sweet heat in an otherwise pretty traditional spaghetti sauce.

I also love this pasta because it’s an absolutely delicious vegetarian meal that beautifully showcases one of my favorite summer vegetables: eggplant. Because this nightshade is so meaty in texture and flavor, it’s a great star for a vegetarian entree, and in this dish the eggplant’s high temperature oven roast prior to adding it to the sauce really enhances its richness, making this dish a real knock out. I would generally say that eggplant is a hard sell for most kids, but my children gave this dish a five star review, so it’s a great, healthy, and relatively simple meal to prepare for the family.

I’ve adapted this recipe from the world famous chef and flavor genius Yotam Ottolenghi. It’s honestly very hard to find fault with any of his recipes, but the biggest change I made (besides the incorporation of my beloved passila chile) is in the quantity of fresh basil. While I love a crisp bite of basil in each bite of my pasta, I think it’s a bit of a risk to assume that all people do, especially young diners. You can absolutely stir the entire cup of basil into the pasta before serving, but I prefer to just sprinkle a few leaves on top of each plate and leave the rest on the table, along with the remaining pecorino, so that each person can add basil at his or her own pleasure. Keeping the herb separate also prevents the basil from cooking and becoming a little soggy in the pasta, which is a big problem for my kids who only want to eat bright green and lively basil leaves.

The last thing to keep in my is that the recipe calls for 10oz. of spaghetti, which is 6oz. less than the standard 1lb. package. I do not by any means take the time to measure out exactly 10oz. of pasta. I cook the whole package and reserve some cooked pasta (which I butter and salt for a later snack for some kid or another) and serve the rest in this dish. You can also put the entire pound of spaghetti into the sauce, but just know that it will be a less saucy dish if you do.

Spaghetti with Roasted Eggplant, Pasilla Chiles, Pecorino, & Fresh Basil - Serves 4-6

Equipment:

• Large pasta pot

• 2 large rimmed baking sheets

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants (about 2 lbs)

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

• 1 large dried pasilla chile pepper, seeded and chopped

• 1 28oz. can whole peeled plum tomatoes with juices

• 5 fresh oregano sprigs

• 1 tsp. sugar

• 10oz./300g dried spaghetti

• 1 1/2oz. pecorino romano, shaved

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF, and line to two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Wash and dry the eggplants and slice off the stem and bottom of each. Working from the bottom all the way to the stem side, use a vegetable peeler to peel a long strip of the dark purple skin. Leave a strip of purple skin right next to the portion you just peeled, and then peel another long strip, continuing around the entire eggplant so that you create a zebra stripe pattern of peeled and unpeeled sections. Repeat the process with the second eggplant.

3. Slice and season the eggplants. If they are very fat eggplants, cut them in half lengthwise and then slice them into 1/2in. thick half moons. Alternatively, if you have narrower eggplants, go ahead and leave them whole and slice into 1/2in. thick full moons. Then place the slices into a large bowl and season with 5-6TBS. of olive oil, 3/4 tsp. kosher salt and several grinds of black pepper. Add a little extra olive oil if needed to lightly coat all the eggplant slices. Spread the slices out evenly on the two baking sheets, and bake them in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until dark golden brown.

4. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat 2TBS. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the garlic and chiles, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Then add the canned tomatoes with their juices, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. of sugar, and the oregano sprigs. Stir and gently smoosh the tomatoes so they burst and begin to break down. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and then lower the heat to medium low and allow the sauce to continue simmering for 10 minutes, or until it’s thickened and the flavors are blended well. Remove and discard the oregano springs, and then gently stir in the roasted eggplant.

5. Make the spaghetti. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions, preferably until al dente. Then add the noodles directly to the eggplant and tomato sauce. Add half of the shaved pecorino and use tongs to gently toss the noodles, sauce, and cheese together. Serve with the remaining pecorino and the fresh basil.

Recipe adapted from Ottolenghi Simple: A Cookbook