Posh Spaghetti Hoops

A childhood classic, but fancy

The shriek of joy I expelled when I found hoop-shaped pasta (exactly like tinned spaghetti hoops) in a random shop recently meant only one thing - a fun, new recipe.

In my opinion, the best pasta dishes are baked, so that was going to be a part of the process.

I don’t care at all that it’s mid-summer and was 30 degrees at the weekend - there is always space in my household for joyful, childlike pasta bakes all year round!

In terms of flavours, beyond a rich tomato sauce base, I took inspiration from the italian pasta “alla norma” which includes fried aubergine, black olives and capers.

So let’s get into it!

FULL RECIPE

Ingredients:

2 aubergines - diced into 1cm cubes

300g dried pasta hoops (or any pasta of your choice)

10 black olives - pitted and halved

2 handfuls of baby capers

150 mozzarella - half cubed, half grated (or all grated is fine)

For the tomato sauce:

1 white onion - finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

400ml passata

6-7 basil leaves - whole

Method:

Start by prepping the aubergine then fry in 3-4 tbsp of olive oil until cooked through and soft. Spoon out of the pan then get on with making the tomato sauce in the same pan by sweating the onions for 10-15 minutes until soft and jammy, adding in the garlic for 5 mins followed by the pass and basil leaves. Leave this to simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Bring a pan of salted water up to boil and cook the pasta to packet instructions (minus 1-2 minutes as it will keep cooking in the sauce).

Add the fried aubergine cubes into the tomato sauce along with the olives and capers. Mix through then add in the partially cooked & drained pasta.

Combine well then tip into an ovenproof dish.

Top with the mozarella then bake a 200C oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and bubbling.