Sicilian-style aubergine torte – Saturday Kitchen RecipesSaturday Kitchen Recipes

Preparation time
less than 30 mins

Cooking time
1 to 2 hours

Serves
Serves 6–8

Ingredients

500g/1lb 2oz aubergines, sliced lengthways
6 sausages, skins removed
70g/2½oz pecorino, grated
1 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
100g/3½oz pancetta, diced
150g/5½oz ‘nduja paste
400g tin chopped tomatoes
500g/1lb 2oz penne, cooked until just al dente
1 bunch fresh basil
6 ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half and oven-dried for a few hours until semi soft
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
500g/1lb 2oz caciocavallo or provolone cheese, sliced
2 balls mozzarella, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat a grill to hot. Season the aubergine slices with salt and pepper and grill on both sides until cooked through. Set aside. Mix the sausage meat with half of the pecorino, the oregano and parsley and form into 8 balls.
Heat a splash of oil in a large saucepan and sweat the onion, garlic and pancetta for 10 minutes. Add the ‘nduja paste and then the chopped tomatoes. Add the sausage balls and cook slowly for 20 minutes or so. Toss the pasta into the tomato mixture and stir in. Add the basil and the rest of the pecorino and stir to combine. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
Line a round 23cm/9inch deep cake tin with the aubergines and fill with the tomato mixture, plum tomatoes and egg slices. Finish with the caciocavallo and mozzarella slices and fold up the aubergines. Place in the oven for 40 minutes. Leave to cool for a bit, then turn out and cut into slices to serve.