Early autumn cooking

The more interesting pasta shapes such as the shell-shaped conchiglie or the ear-like orecchiette didn't just happen.

You know that someone once put a great deal of thought into the stuff we now treat as the ultimate no-brain supper.

It took nothing short of a genius to come up with the classic shapes of pasta.

Those clever twists and curls and flowing lines are much more drawing board than chopping board.

Aubergines, with their autumnal warmth, can be a good partner for pasta, bake or grill the aubergines till they collapse, then scrape their pashmina-soft flesh into a mixing bowl.

Bring to a sauce consistency with bright, fruity olive oil (a lush might use a dash of cream, too) and hand-torn basil leaves, and sharpen slightly with lemon juice.

Fold the drained pasta into the sauce before adding a contrasting texture such as toasted pine kernels or pumpkin seeds.

Pasta with aubergine and pine kernels

Ingredients

(Serves four)

300gm dried pasta

For the sauce:

2 large aubergines

Olive oil

A large handful of basil leaves

1/2 lemon

4 tbsp pine kernels

Method

Split each aubergine in half lengthways, make shallow cuts almost down to the skin in a crisscross fashion, then brush with olive oil. Bake for 25 minutes or until soft to the touch.

Alternatively, prick the whole aubergine all over with a fork then grill till the skin darkens and the inside is soft.

Scrape the flesh out of the aubergine skins into a mixing bowl. Beating constantly, pour in the olive oil a little at a time - you will need about eight tbsp - but stop as soon as you have a smooth sauce that is just thick enough to coat your pasta.

Shred the basil and fold into the aubergine sauce with a seasoning of salt, plenty of pepper and a shot of lemon juice.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, heavily salted water.

Meanwhile, toast the pine kernels in a dry non-stick pan until golden. Drain the pasta. Toss with the aubergine sauce and divide between four warm bowls, topped with the toasted pine kernels.