Spaghetti with creamy burrata and eggplant

To make the spaghetti with creamy burrata and eggplant, cut the burrata into pieces 1 and place in a food processor, then add the basil leaves 2, olive oil 3, salt, and pepper.

Blend until you get a smooth, even cream 4, then set aside in the fridge. Wash and trim the eggplant, then slice them thinly (about the thickness of a coin (1-2 cm)5, and from the slices cut julienne-style strips 6.

Fry the eggplant strips in peanut oil for 3 minutes until golden brown 7. For optimal cooking, we recommend keeping the oil temperature at 320°F (160°C); to keep the temperature from going down, it’s better to cook just a few strips at a time (use a food thermometer to check the temperature). Once cooked, take the eggplant strips out of the oil using kitchen tweezers and arrange them on tray lined with paper towel, which will absorb the excess oil 8. Meanwhile, put a pot filled with water on high heat and add salt to taste; this will be for cooking the pasta. Separately, in a frying pan, toast the pine nuts over high heat for 2 minutes or until golden 9.

Once the water has come to a boil, cook the spaghetti for 9 minutes or slightly less than the time stated on the package; it should be al dente 10. Next, pour the burrata and basil cream into a large pan and dilute with a ladleful of pasta cooking water to make the cream even smoother 11. Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain it and then pour directly into the pan with the cream 12. Stir with a wooden spoon to develop the flavor and warm over moderate heat for a minute or two, just long enough to heat up the sauce.

Now, turn off the heat and add the fried eggplant strips, reserving some for the final decoration 13, as well as the toasted pine nuts 14. Serve the spaghetti with creamy burrata and eggplant hot, garnishing the plates with the reserved eggplant strips and some fresh basil leaves 15.