Rigatoni With Tomato, Eggplant, & Red Peppers

This sauce goes well with a tubular pasta, such as rigatoni, or a long pasta, such as spaghetti. It benefits from slower cooking, becoming a rich sauce that is delicious accompanied by a leafy green salad. From The Classic Vegetarian Cookbook.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1  medium eggplant, finely diced
• 1  red pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1  garlic clove, chopped
• 2 (14 ounce) cans whole tomatoes, with juice coarsely chopped
•  salt, to taste
•  black pepper, freshly ground to taste
• 1  lb rigatoni pasta
•  parmesan cheese, fresh cut into flakes (optional)
•  basil leaves, fresh to garnish

Directions

1. Warm 2 Tbsp of the olive oil in a saucepan over moderate heat, add the onion, cover, and cook until tender: about 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, red pepper, and garlic, cover, and cook for a futher 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, reduce the heat, and cook slowly, uncovered, until the excess liquid has evaporated and the sauce is thick and puree-like (about 20-25 minutes). Season to taste with salt and black pepper and keep warm.
3. Pour 4 1/2 quarts of water into a large pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Drop in the pasta, give it a quick stir, then let the water boil steadily until the pasta is al dente: tender but not soft right through. Bite a piece to check.
4. Drain the pasta but leave some water clinging to it, and return it to the hot pan with the remaining olive oil and a good seasoning of salt and black pepper. Toss the pasta to coat it with the oil.
5. Pour in the sauce and toss the pasta once more. Serve at once, with flakes of Parmesan if desired, and basil leaves to garnish.