Busiate with Swordfish, Eggplant and Mint

Start by preparing the eggplant. Slice it lengthwise in about 1 cm thick slices. Sprinkle generously with salt and leave in the colander for about an hour. This will drain the water and bitterness out of the eggplant.

When ready, wash the eggplant with cold water and dry them well. The best is to wrap a slice of eggplant in a towel and press it between the palm of your hands. Next, dice the eggplant and fry them in sunflower oil till golden brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove them from the pan and place on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. You may need to do this in two batches.

Discard the oil, clean the pan, heat a little olive oil, add the onion and gently fry for 5–7 minutes till it starts to soften. Stir in the passata and eggplant. Season with salt and pepper, add a pinch of sugar and simmer for a few minutes.

Boil the pasta in salted water according to instructions, till al dente (meaning that the pasta is not too soft), then drain.

Cut the swordfish in small cubes. In a separate pan, heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic clove. When the garlic begins to brown (frying the garlic will infuse the oil), remove from the pan and add the fish. Toss it around in a pan for about a minute then pour over the vinegar. Shake the pan to coat the fish, then add the tomato sauce. Combine well and let it simmer for a few minutes, check the seasoning and add the mint and pasta.

Stir to coat the pasta in the sauce and serve immediately.