Sep 23

From the memory bank – Chicken and eggplant pasta

This weekend I’m visiting my parents in country Victoria so probably won’t get to cook from any of my books (unless I find I share one with my parents and the ingredients are available).  So to tide you over, here is a quick, easy, and tasty recipe I make when I have the ingredients around.  I make this by tossing things together, so use more or less of the ingredients as you like, and remember that my measurements are approximate.

Ingredients

  • 1 large eggplant
  • olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 500g chicken mince
  • 1/3 cup sherry
  • enough pasta for 4 (or more if necessary)
  • parmesan cheese

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180C, put baking paper on a baking tray (biscuit tray)
  2. Dice eggplant, toss in some olive oil (to taste really – eggplant will absorb as much oil as it possibly can, and the more oil you use the softer it will end up after baking, but it will release a lot of that oil).  Best would probably be about 2 – 4 tablespoons depending on the size of your eggplant.
  3. Put eggplant on baking tray and make sure the skin is underneath the eggplant as much as possible.  Put into the oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes (the eggplant should be a nice brown colour).
  4. Meanwhile slice the onion finely and crush the garlic.  Chop the tomatoes.
  5. Put some olive oil in a large frying pan (1 – 2 tablespoons), once the oil is heated through, add onion and garlic and saute until the onion is transparent.  Add the chicken mince and cook through.
  6. Once the mince is cooked through add the tomatoes, sherry and dried basil, simmer gently.
  7. Boil water for the pasta and cook according to packet directions.
  8. Once the eggplants are cooked, add to the chicken mixture.
  9. Once the pasta is cooked, add to the chicken and eggplant mixture.
  10. Serve generously covered with parmesan cheese.