You won’t miss the meat in this deliciously smoky and rich Italian sauce with walnuts added for texture. I served mine with ricotta gnocchi but any pasta or gnocchi will work.
Use one large eggplant (aubergine). To get that smoky flavour, prick the skin a few times and blacken all over, either on a barbecue or over a gas flame. When completely charred, remove to a bowl, cover with a plate and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove all the flesh, discarding the skin, and roughly chop it. Set aside. For the ragu, cook 1 large chopped onion and an equal amount of chopped carrot and celery in some olive oil until the onions are soft and brown. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and 2 bay leaves and cook briefly before adding 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Continue to cook until it’s sticking to the pan but not burnt then add 1 cup of red wine and bring to boil, cooking until the wine is reduced by half. Add 1 can of chopped tomatoes, the eggplant and salt to taste. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste again for salt and add a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Finally add ⅓ of a cup of chopped walnuts. Serve over pasta or gnocchi with freshly grated parmesan and a drizzle of good olive oil.
michelle picker cooks 