Eggplant & pasta bake with mortadella & boiled egg

(Riggidanella con mortadella e uova sode)

Serves 6

This is not the classic version of the Calabrian riggidanella. I have modified the recipe to include two ingredients that I love to use with eggplant in baked dishes: boiled egg and mortadella. It may seem like a curious flavour combination if you have never eaten it before, but it is wonderful, especially when the tomato passata used in the recipe is homemade with very ripe and sweet tomatoes.

extra virgin olive oil, for shallow-frying

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) eggplant (aubergine), sliced 1 cm (½ inch) thick

250 g (9 oz) good-quality dried short maccheroni pasta, cooked al dente

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) good-quality tomato passata (puréed tomatoes)

dried chilli flakes, to taste

120 g (4¼ oz) thinly sliced good-quality mortadella

4 x 59 g (2¼ oz) free-range or organic boiled eggs, sliced

100 g (3½ oz/1 cup) freshly grated pecorino cheese

6 sweet basil leaves, torn

400 ml (14 fl oz) béchamel sauce

fine sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Heat 1 cm (½ inch) of extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the eggplant in batches until light golden and soft, turning once. Place on paper towel.

Grease six individual baking dishes, approximately 15 cm (6 inches) in diameter and 3 cm (1¼ inches) high. Line the dishes with the grilled eggplant, with some hanging over the edges for covering later. Mix the cooked pasta and tomato passata together and press into the dishes. Layer the chilli flakes, mortadella, egg, pecorino cheese, basil leaves and béchamel. Fold the overhanging eggplant over the top. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately by turning out onto a plate.