A Moroccan twist to Nigella’s Penne with Aubergine, Tomato and Feta

Tasked to take one of Nigella’s recipes and make it our own, I decided to put my own spin on her hearty version of Penne all Norma made with some chili and feta. I wanted to take that heat further and move across the Mediterranean into the exotic realm of North Africa with some smoky harissa and heady Ras el hanout. My intentions were to make a comforting dish that you would cook up during a rainy evening and every bite it would transport you to the romance and adventure of colorful souks and medinas. Pair this dish with a peppery Shiraz that would hold up nicely to the spices and gamey lamb.

Ingredients:

1 bottle of Contadina Roasted Garlic tomato sauce 1 small onion sliced thinly 2 eggplants cut into 1/2-inch rounds 200 g ground lamb 200 g Contadina Penne 1 tbsp harissa 1/2 tsp Ras el hanout 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar 100 g crumbled feta Salt and black pepper Contadina Pure Olive Oil Contadina Extra Virgin Olive Oil Zest of one lemon Generous handfuls of fresh mint leaves, cilantro, thyme and parsley

1 cup flour

Procedure:

Toss the eggplant in the flour and in a deep skillet heat some of the Pure Olive Oil and then fry the eggplant until soft and golden. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.

In a pan heat some more olive oil and sauté the onions until soft and slightly golden. Add the harissa and cook out the spice for a few seconds, then add the Contadina Roasted Garlic tomato sauce. Lower the heat and bring to a low simmer. Let it cook until it’s deepened in color and thickened a bit. Remove from heat.

In the meantime cook the penne according to the directions on the box, and when cooked, reserve some pasta water before straining.

In a separate pan heat some oil on high and add the ground lamb. Season with salt and pepper. Add the Ras el hanout and stir everything well. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan so it gets nice and brown. Deglaze with balsamic vinegar and continue cooking until you end up with crisp brown bits of lamb.

Put the pasta sauce back on the heat then fold in the fried eggplants. Add a splash of pasta water and then the pasta. Toss everything together. Season with some salt and pepper.

Transfer to your serving platter and top with crumbled feta and the crispy lamb bits. Finish with the gremolata made from chopping the fresh herbs and adding the lemon zest. Finish with a drizzle of Contadina Extra Virgin olive oil.