Summer is here and colourful food is the order of the day! This roasted aubergine pasta is a taste of the season and brightens up your day with fresh flavours and a pop of colour. The new Cole & Mason | New Collections Kenton Mills provide an equally colourful addition to any table. The Cole & Mason Kenton Salt & Pepper Mill in Sichuan Pepper - Adjustable Grinders, 150mm (6") earthy red finish reminded me to pick up some aubergines and inspired the dish. Pretty simple and full of flavour and colour – a staple recipe all summer long!

Ingredients:

• 2 aubergines – chopped in chunks
• 10-15 cherry tomatoes
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 50g chorizo or Nduja chopped (optional and can be removed if you want to stay vegetarian)
• Oregano – 1 tsp
• 2 tbsps olive oil
• 1 tsp tomato puree
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• Salt and pepper  
• 200g spaghetti 

Method:

1. Chop the aubergine into chunky pieces and coat with half of the olive oil, salt and pepper
2. Place in the oven to roast for 30 minutes
3. While the aubergines are roasting, in a sauté pan, fry off the chorizo and garlic gently in the remaining olive oil
4. Add the tomato puree and cook for a minute, stirring all the time
5. Add the tinned tomatoes and oregano and gently simmer for 20 minutes
6. Once the sauce has started simmering, heat a large pan of salted water for your pasta
7. Add the spaghetti to the pan and cook for around 15 minutes
8. Once the pasta is on, add the cherry tomatoes to the roasting tray for the final 10-15 mins until just popping
9. Once the pasta is cooked, combine the roasted aubergine and tomatoes (leaving a few behind to garnish).
10. Add the pasta to the tomato sauce with a little splash of pasta water. Coat the pasta and serve in a bowl.
11. Garnish with basil leaves and some shaved Parmesan