Muddy Stilettos

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Untitled-design-2023-04-11T160842.609.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-70814" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Untitled-design-2023-04-11T160842.609.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Untitled-design-2023-04-11T160842.609-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Untitled-design-2023-04-11T160842.609-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Serves 4; Total prep and cooking time: 45 minutes; alternate pasta shape: fusilloni



INGREDIENTS



1 small red onion,&nbsp;diced 1 carrot, diced 1 celery stalk, diced Sea salt 120 millilitres extra-virgin olive oil 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 1.5cm-wide strips 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into 1.5cm-wide strips 2 small courgettes, cut into 1.5cm-wide strips 400 grams jarred Pomodori del Piennolo del Vesuvio tomatoes or 230 grams cherry tomatoes, halved 1 small aubergine, cut into 1.5cm-wide × 8cm-long strips 450 grams fusilli 6 to 8 fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more leaves for garnish



This vegetarian pasta takes me back to my Nonna’s garden. Each day during the summer holidays, my brother, Agostino, and I would wake up early to pick Nonna’s ripe peppers, aubergines, tomatoes and courgettes, which felt warm beneath our fingertips after weeks of maturing under the blazing Neapolitan sun. These memories bring the same joy I have picking vegetables with my own children in our garden under the Florida sunshine. 



What I love most about this dish – aside from the nostalgia it brings flooding back – is that it is so flexible. You can make it your own with what’s in season no matter where you are and any time of the year, even in the winter, substituting winter squashes and bitter greens for the summery medley below. Cook the vegetables in stages so they all finish cooking at the same time – knowing how to time this perfectly comes with practice, but one bite of this dish and I know you’ll be hooked and up for the challenge.



METHOD



Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat.



Meanwhile, in a large deep sauté pan, sizzle the onion, carrot, celery and a heavy pinch of salt in the olive oil over low heat and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Add the peppers, courgettes and a splash (60ml) of water, season with salt, and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and aubergine and another splash of water, season with salt once again, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add a bit of water as needed to prevent sticking.



Once the water has reached a rolling boil, season with salt until the water tastes like a seasoned soup. Drop in the pasta and cook until al dente.



Transfer the pasta to the sauté pan. Stir in the basil along with a few spoonfuls of pasta cooking water and mix gently as the sauce thickens slightly over the heat to coat the pasta. Serve garnished with fresh basil leaves.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="666" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Untitled-design-2023-04-11T160940.472.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-70813" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Untitled-design-2023-04-11T160940.472.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Untitled-design-2023-04-11T160940.472-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Untitled-design-2023-04-11T160940.472-788x525.jpg 788w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Love pasta? Check out more of Nadia Caterina Munno&#8217;s fabulous recipes in The Pasta Queen: A Just Gorgeous Cookbook&nbsp;(HarperNonFiction £22 Hardback)

Insta’s Pasta Queen shares her perfect summer dish: Fusilli all’Ortolana

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