Fusilli alla Siracusana

• Cut in two, rinse and bake the peppers with the skin upward in a ventilated oven at about 200° C, until they turn brown.
• Take them out of the oven, peel them and cut them into pieces.
• Cut the aubergine into cubes of about 1 cm, sprinkle with salt and let them sit for a while so that their water drains out.
• Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water, peel them and cut them into cubes.
• Quickly rinse the anchovy fillets, dry them and cut them into small pieces.
• Chop the olives and cut the garlic into thin slices.
• Dry the aubergine cubes with paper towels.
• In a saucepan, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil and then cook the aubergine and garlic, stirring carefully.
• Add the tomatoes and anchovies and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and let it all simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
• In a large pot, bring water to a boil, add salt and cook the pasta until it is “al dente”, a bit chewy at the centre.
• In the meantime, add the peppers, olives and capers to the sauce, stir and cook briefly all without a cover.
• Drain the pasta, pour it into a bowl and season it with the vegetable sauce.
• Garnish with cheese and basil. A good accompaniment to the dish is Schär’s Ciabattina Rustica.

A tip: depending on tastes, the dish can also be made with other types of vegetables, such as zucchini sautéed briefly in olive oil, green peppers or broccoli.