Eggplant involtini with spaghetti in tomato sauce

Slice a large eggplant lengthwise into thin slices so they cook fast and roll easily.

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a tray with baking paper.

Grill the eggplant slices on a hot plate, sprinkling a little salt, until marked with lines and cooked on the bottom; turn and cook a minute or two more. Set on a plate to cool. (Salting and draining 20 minutes first, or frying in the classic Sicilian way, are options.)

Crush the peeled tomatoes by hand. Put water on to boil.

Warm the olive oil with two crushed garlic cloves for about 25 to 30 seconds without burning, then add the tomatoes, stir, season with salt and pepper and cook gently on medium while the pasta cooks.

Salt the boiling water with the rock salt and cook the spaghetti per the packet, 10 minutes here, to al dente.

Stir the basil into the sauce at the end so it does not cook.

Toss the spaghetti into the sauce with a splash of pasta water.

Place a portion of spaghetti in the middle of each eggplant slice, add broken bocconcini, roll up from the smaller end and set in the tray, rolls touching so they hold firm.

Spread sauce over each roll and finish with pecorino.

Bake about 10 minutes at 180C until the cheese melts and the top turns a little crusty.

Plate and top with fresh basil.