Pasta Spirelli Macaroni with Aubergine

Pasta Spirelli Macaroni with Aubergine

Again, I would like to share with all of you a special pasta dish which my family have for dinner last week end. Let me give all of you a brief overview of pasta dishes. Basically, pasta is a favorite dish or a form of a staple food just like we all love rice here in Malaysia but pasta is the favorite of Italians, French, Germans,Swiss, Russian, those people within the Mediterranean and in many more part of the world. Pasta is one of the better food if compare to rice. Pasta is low glycamic which have high content of fibre and natural mineral like zinc,iron and magnesium.

Don't be mistaken with our local "mee kuning". Both have vast contrast in health indexes. Basically pasta is made from durum wheat - and the flour is unpolished. The composition and the texture is almost likes "atta flour". Mee Kuning is made from normal polished and refined flour. Our local made mee kuning many at time contains " boric acid" and other form of chemicals so with preservative and coloring. I would generally classify our local mee kuning is not good for our health. Poor and unclean manufacturing practice is the most common issue. High glycamic is the most common feature of the mee kuning. High in carbohydrate and fats.
Pasta on the other hand, is much an healthier food. Spaghetti, macaroni, penne, spirelli,shell and others are made from unpolish wheat flour, where most of the food elements are maintain.
Just that about pasta;
Today I am going to show how to cook a type of pasta calls Spirelli. Sorts of spiral shape or spring look pasta.
This dish is rich and strong. You can add other vegetables such as zucchini and olives, but we are going to do the lighter version using less oil, dice aurbergine and olive oil. Aurbergine sound foreign to you - that's in French, we Malaysian call it " terung china" or "terung manggis".

 

Ingredients:

• 500gms of Pasta Spirelli (San Remo/Barilla -halal)

• 1 pc of Terung China / or Terung Manggis

• 5 Pcs of big ripe Tomatoes

• 5 Cloves of garlic

• 3 pcs of spring red onions

• 1/2 cup olive oils

• 1 Cup of water

• 1 tsp of dried basil

• 1 tsp of Oregano

• 1 tsp of Rosemary

• 1 tsp of black pepper

• 5 slices of cheddar cheese

• Salt/sugar to taste

• 1 tsp of fresh parsley

• 1-2 stalks of onion shoots

• 4-5 pieces of button mushroom

Preparing the ingredient

1. You may boil the Spirelli with a bit of salt until "al dente" or soft and tangy texture for about 8-10 minutes. Have way true, slit cut a cross on the tomatoes and boil it together with pasta.
2. Dice the terung -aurbergines- let it drain dry in a colander, sprinkle with fine salt.
3. Peels off the garlic, onions put it into a blender to grind.
4. By now your pasta should be soft and tangy so with the tomatoes.
5. Drain off the pasta, mix it with a table spoon of olive oil to keep tangy.

Making the sauce

• Lift out the tomatoes and peels off the skin easily from the slit cut. Mash the tomatoes into smooth watery paste.
•  In a large heated frying pan - heat some of the olive oils and fry in the "terung" until turns brownish. Put aside the fried terung.
•  Add in a bit of the olive oil, fry the blended garlic and onions. Add in the mushroom and mashed tomatoes, fry for about 2-3 minutes.
•  Add in all the herbs - oregano,pepper,basil,rosemary and chops onions shoot or chives.
•  Add in the fried terung, salts and sugar to taste and 1 cup of water.
•  Bring it to boil.
• Cool it off and sparinglyn the chop parsley.
• You may use this sauce as a topping for your Spirelli pasta.

Enjoy!