Maccheroni alla siciliana

People: 4
Time: 45 mins
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
Pasta (preferably tortiglioni or penne) - 350 gr.
Aubergines - 2 or 3
Cherry tomatoes - 500 gr.
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano
Extra virgin olive oil (preferably from Apulia or Tuscany)
Garlic
Fresh basil
Salt
Frying oil

Preparation:
1. Cut the aubergines in 2cm sided cubes.
2. Put the aubergines in a colander, add 5 tea-spoons of salt and put on them a plate and something heavy to press them for 20 mins. This way, they will loose the bitterness.
3. In a pan start to heat the oil to fry.
4. Rinse quickly the aubergines under cold water, squeeze them strongly and put them in the hot oil.
5. While they are frying start to prepare the sauce: put 2 pieces of peeled garlic and 3 spoons of olive oil in a pan; when the garlic turns gold, add tomatoes and basil.
6. When the aubergines are fried, dry them on absorbing paper and add them in the sauce, removing the garlic if you don't like to eat it.
7. Boil water in a pot, add one spoon of salt when the water starts boiling and then put the pasta in it.
8. When the pasta is almost cooked, take it out of the water and put it in the sauce. Mix everything on low fire for couple of minutes.
9. Serve the pasta with grated Parmigiano and a leaf of basil on top.
10. Enjoy your meal, accompanying it with a bottle of sicilian red wine as Nero d'Avola.

TASTY HINT: Before to serve it you can put the pasta in a terrine covered by parmigiano (or mozzarella if you prefer) and cook it for 15 mins in the oven pre-heaten at 180°. In this case it would be better to use 250 gr. more tomatoes for the sauce.