Homemade pasta with basil in tomato sauce and fried eggplant

Ingredients:

Paste

• 2.5 cups flour + extra for dusting
• 0.5 cup fine semolina
• 1/4 cup finely chopped basil
• 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons finely grated pecorino cheese
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil

Sauce

• 1 large eggplant (about 0.7 kg), cut into 2.5 cm pieces.
• 0.5 cups olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• A pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 can (800g) whole peeled Italian tomatoes in their own juice, mashed by hand
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil + 0.5 cup torn leaves
• 220 g fresh mozzarella, cut into 1 cm cubes.
• Grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving

Preparation:

1. Prepare the pastaIn a large bowl, combine the wheat and semolina flours, basil, both types of cheese, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Whisk the milk, eggs, and olive oil in a separate bowl, then pour into the flour mixture and mix with a fork until the dough comes together. Continue kneading with your hands on a floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding more flour as needed to ensure a soft but not sticky dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.
2. Divide the dough into four pieces. Working with one piece at a time (keep the rest wrapped in plastic wrap), pass the dough through a pasta machine using the thickest setting. Continue rolling the dough, gradually narrowing the gap and dusting with flour as needed, until it is 0.3 cm thick. Using a knife, cut the dough into 10 x 0.5 cm noodles. Dust the noodles with flour, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover the pasta with a kitchen towel and set aside until ready to cook, or refrigerate for 4 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of ground black pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven, stirring once or twice, until tender and golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
4. Prepare the sauceMeanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil with the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is soft and golden, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, then pour 1 cup of water into the empty tomato can and pour it into the saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, 35-40 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. In a large saucepan, fill with water, season generously with salt, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it floats to the surface and is tender, 3-4 minutes. Separately, set aside 0.5 cups of the pasta water; discard the rest. Add the sauce to the pasta in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring to coat the pasta, about 1 minute.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, three-quarters of the eggplant, mozzarella, and 1/4 cup torn basil. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking water, if needed, to thin the sauce. Transfer to a large, shallow bowl. Top with the remaining eggplant and 1/4 cup torn basil, and sprinkle with pecorino cheese.