Roasted eggplant
1/3 cup olive oil
Two medium eggplants - chopped
Seasoned well with salt (around 1 tsp and more to taste)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425. Line a large sheet tray with parchment paper and place the chopped eggplant on. Drizzle over the olive oil and season well with kosher salt. Place into the oven and roast until golden around 30-35 min. While it's roasting, make the sauce.
Sauce
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 can (28 oz) of crushed San Marzano
3 gloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp of chili flakes, optional
1 500g package of rigatoni
2 handfuls of fresh basil, plus more to garnish (preferably the baby leaves)
Ricotta salad to finish or you can use Pecorino Romano as well
Kosher salt to taste
Large pinch of sugar
Directions:
In a large sauce pan heat up the olive oil and add in the garlic and the chili flakes. Sauté on medium heat until fragrant and then add in the crushed san Marzano tomatoes. Season swell with salt and add a nice pinch of sugar. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Let reduce while the eggplant is roasting. When the eggplant is almost done bring a large pot of water to boil and season generously with kosher salt. Add in the pasta and cook until al dente. When ready, add to the sauce with the roasted eggplant and the basil. Toss until coated and then serve with ricotta salata and fresh basil.
Enjoy!