Pasta alla Norma

Prep: 20 min

Total Time: 2:00

Servings: 5

Ingredients

3lbs Eggplant , (2 large eggplants)

6 Garlic, cloves

4 dried Chiles

3lbs Tomatoes

2 teaspoon good dried Oregano, or 2 tablespoon fresh

1lb long Pasta

1 cup Basil

Ricotta Salata, or Pecorino Romano

Instructions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Slice eggplants into ½ inch thick rounds. Place on a baking sheet and cover with olive oil, sprinkling with salt and adding more oil as needed. Rub olive oil over tomatoes and place on another baking sheet. Roast vegetables until nicely browned and the tomatoes are blistered. Meanwhile, put a large pot of water to boil and salt it.

Chop roasted tomatoes into bite-sized cubes. Add olive oil to a cooking pan. Turn the heat to medium, add the garlic and chiles, and cook until the garlic colors a little bit. Add the tomatoes and oregano, along with some salt and pepper; cook until saucy but not too dry, stirring occasionally.

Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy. While it’s cooking, cut the eggplant into strips and reheat for a minute in the tomato sauce. Drain the pasta and toss it with the tomato sauce and the eggplant. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then top with the parsley or basil and grated cheese and serve.