Tortellini with tomato and aubergine recipe

If you’ve always fancied creating your very own handmade pasta to impress dinner guests then you’ll love this tortellini with tomato and aubergine recipe. These are bursting with Mediterranean flavour and taste delicious. They’re pretty time-consuming to make though, so start them a few hours before the party.

Ingredients (serves 4)

160g white flour

Cirio cherry tomatoes

Supercirio tomato puree

80g semolina flour

2 aubergines

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

100g parmesan

1 garlic clove

Extra virgin olive oil

Basil

Rosemary

Thyme

Salt and pepper

Method

Mix white flour, semolina egg yolks, 1 whole egg, the tomato puree, a pinch of salt, a little water and then knead for five minutes into a stiff dough. Rest in clingfilm for one hour in the fridge.

Peel an aubergine, cut into slices and prick with a fork, drizzle with olive oil, seasoning and herbs before baking for 40 minutes at 40°C (Gas Mark 1). Remove and blend in a mixer. Cut the remaining aubergine into cubes and fry in hot oil for four minutes. Combine the aubergine in a bowl with the parmesan.

Roll out the dough, brush with egg yolk, place little portions of the aubergine mixture on the dough, leaving about 7in between the edges. Overlap the dough, press to seal off and cut a square around each, filling them again in a half moon shape to form tortellini.

Cook tortellini in salted water until they float to the surface. meanwhile fry garlic with Cirio cherry tomatoes for five minutes.

Pour sauce over tortellini and serve.