Spaghetti Alla Norma is another dish that I had made for my Philips Fresh Cooks Party on 30 September 2012 using the Philips HomeCooker.
It took me 15 – 20 minutes to prepare the ingredients.
2 large firm aubergines, cut into 1cm chunks
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
1 large bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked and stalks finely chopped
2 x 400 tins of plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon oif white wine vinegar
500 grams of dried spaghetti
60 grams of grated salted ricotta or pecorino cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To prepare the dish, toss the aubergine chunks with the oregano and 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, until evenly coated in a bowl.
Make sure the stirrer attachment is in place in the pan, then set the temperature to 175°C. Once the pan has heated up, add half of the aubergine and set the timer for 20 minutes, so it gets nicely golden on all sides. When the time’s up, scoop out the cooked aubergine and repeat with the second half.
Once done, return the first batch of aubergine to the pan, along with the garlic, basil stalks and another drizzle of oil. Set the timer for 5 minutes, so the garlic starts to go golden. Meanwhile, use scissors to roughly cut up the tomatoes in the tins. Add them to the pan with the vinegar, reduce the temperature to 130°C and set the timer for 15 minutes to let the sauce simmer.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water according to packet instructions. Scoop out and reserve a cupful of cooking water, then drain the pasta well and return to the pan.
Turn off the HomeCooker and stir half of the cheese into the sauce. Tear in the larger basil leaves, then season to taste. Tip the sauce into the pasta pan and mix well, loosening with reserved cooking water if needed. Serve scattered with the remaining cheese, the baby basil leaves, and a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Again this was a successful dish and everyone had finished the whole pot! All of them loved the simple yet tasty flavours of the dish.
I love the idea of not having to stir the food which the HomeCooker does for you!
The party was a huge success!
Three men and a big belly full of spaghetti!
Come and taste my food!
Disclosure: We received these goodies from Philips through Come Round to host a party and write an honest review.
