BOSH!: Simple Recipes. Amazing Food. All Plants. The fastest-selling cookery book of the year. Henry Firth

PASTA CAPONATA

      This hearty dish features a rich Sicilian caponata sauce, complete with pine nuts and raisins, which has great depth of flavour, but with an added celery crunch and kick of chilli. Feel free to use more or less garlic (we like lots of garlic!) and then serve with bread to soak up all the juices.

       SERVES 4–6

      2 aubergines (about 500g)

      300g cherry tomatoes

      3 tbsp olive oil

      1½ tsp chilli flakes

      1 red onion

      3 garlic cloves

      1 celery stick

      2 tbsp tomato purée

      1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

      1 tsp dried oregano

      2 sprigs fresh thyme

      30g small capers

      40g raisins

      60g pitted Kalamata olives

      500g penne pasta

      10g dark chocolate

      20g fresh parsley

      1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

      40g pine nuts

      salt and black pepper

       Preheat oven to 180°C | Line a baking tray | Large frying pan with lid on a medium heat | Large saucepan | Small frying pan

      Trim the aubergines and chop the flesh into 2cm cubes | Lay on the lined baking tray along with the cherry tomatoes and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of the olive oil | Sprinkle with a good layer of salt, pepper and the chilli flakes, put the tray in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes

      Meanwhile, pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into the large frying pan | Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic and add to the pan | Trim the leaves and root from the celery, then finely chop and add to the pan | Cook the onions, garlic and celery for 10–15 minutes, stirring regularly, until they are soft and translucent

      Add the tomato purée to the pan and stir | Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, thyme, capers, raisins and olives, plus a little salt and pepper to taste, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and let everything cook for 5 minutes | Remove the roasted aubergines and tomatoes from the oven and add them to the pan, giving everything a stir | Put the lid on and simmer for 12–15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to stop it burning

      Boil a kettle and fill the large saucepan with the boiling water and a pinch of salt | Add the pasta and cook until al dente, following the instructions on the packet | Strain away the water and tip the cooked pasta back into the pasta pan

      Meanwhile, chop or grate the dark chocolate and sprinkle it into the caponata sauce | Chop the stalks from the parsley and save for another recipe, then chop the leaves and add three-quarters to the pan along with the balsamic vinegar | Simmer for a further 3–5 minutes with the lid off | Taste and season if necessary | Pour the sauce over the pasta and fold it in, making sure everything is well covered

      Put the small frying pan on a medium-high heat and toast the pine nuts in the dry pan until golden | Sprinkle over the pasta along with the reserved parsley leaves before serving