Spaghetti Alla Barbara

Method

1. Cut the yellow bell pepper into very thin strips. Heat a pan with olive oil over high heat and sauté the bell pepper strips until lightly charred and tender. Remove and set aside.
2. Cut the Tropea onion (or scallion) into small pieces. In the same pan, add a little oil and sauté the onion over high heat until golden. Remove and set aside.
3. Cut the eggplant into small dice. Add oil to the pan and sauté the eggplant over high heat. After a minute, grate a clove of garlic directly onto the eggplant and season with salt. Cook until tender. Remove and set aside.
4. Cut the zucchini and celery into small dice. Add oil to the pan and sauté them together over high heat for about one minute. Season with salt and add fresh mint and basil in the last 30 seconds. They should remain crunchy. Remove and set aside.
5. Combine all the cooked vegetables back into the pan. Add a splash of pasta water and keep warm.
6. Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water until al dente.
7. Meanwhile, prepare the fresh tomato salsa: choose ripe tomatoes (merinda, camone, and cuor di bue). Cut some into dice and grate others using a box grater, discarding the skin. Season the grated tomato with salt, pepper, olive oil, and fresh basil. Also season the diced tomatoes lightly.
8. When the pasta is al dente, transfer it directly into the pan with the vegetables. Add a ladle of pasta water and mix well.
9. Add the fresh tomato salsa to the pan and stir to combine.
10. Grate a generous amount of Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses directly into the pan. Toss off the heat until creamy and emulsified.
11. Add grated lemon zest (green lemon) and fresh basil leaves. Give a final stir.
12. Serve: place some of the reserved raw diced tomatoes on the bottom of the plate, top with the pasta, and garnish with extra basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.