Sicilian smoked paprika aubergine, olive and tomato spaghetti

Today I made the mistake of waltzing into a gym class without looking at the description. I saw Body Pump, so I thought aerobics, some heart pumping exercises... how wrong was I. Now I realise 'pump' probably stands for 'pumping iron', I was sandwiched between a bunch of ripped men and women, having to do bench presses and squats for an entire hour. I can still barely lift my arms, so I needed something comforting, carby and quick to cook when I got home.

This recipe ticked all the boxes, with very few ingredients and good full bodied flavours. I have called the recipe Sicilian because it was a take on a Jamie Oliver Caponata recipe, which can be found here: Incredible Sicilian aubergine stew. I also found a really good looking recipe by Sophie Dahl, which I will hopefully be testing out soon Sophie Dahl's spicy aubergine and tomato with poached eggs.

Sicilian smoked paprika aubergine, olive and tomato spaghetti

 Serves 2-3
Olive oil
1 medium purple aubergine, cut into 2cm cubes
1 large garlic clove, crushed and chopped finely
1 red onion, chopped roughly
1 can chopped Italian tomatoes
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Splash balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful olives, chopped roughly
100g wholemeal spaghetti
70g rocket leaves
1/2 avocado
Lemon juice

1. Heat a splash of olive oil in a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat and throw in the aubergine with a pinch of salt. Shake the pan every so often to ensure the aubergine doesn't burn, and so it colours on every side (about 4-5 minutes).
2.  Place the wholemeal spaghetti in a pan of boiling, slightly salted water and cover. Turn down the heat and leave at a rolling boil. Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn't bubble over. (Note: if you are using white pasta, it will take around 5 minutes less to cook, depending on the brand, so start this step after you have completed the next step)
3. Add the red onion and garlic to the aubergine, and leave to cook through for another 5-6 minutes, or until the onions begin to turn translucent.
4. Throw in a splash of balsamic vinegar and let this evaporate away.
5. Add the smoked paprika, black pepper, olives and chopped tomatoes. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, wash some rocket leaves (or the salad leaves of your choice) and dice up some ripe avocado. Squeeze some lemon juice on the salad to stop the avocado turning brown.
7. The pasta should be al dente now, so check it is cooked and drain.
8. Check the seasoning of your sauce and adjust if necessary, and pour over your cooked pasta. Mix all together and serve with the salad.