Rigatoni With Eggplant
By: Batya
Published: Sunday, May 15, 2011 - 12:56am

Ingredients




1 ” medium-size eggplant, cut into ½ cubes
1 pound rigatoni pasta
3 ripe plum tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons olivada (Italian seasoned olive paste, sold in jars)
Olive oil
3 scallions, chopped
Dash cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1 Bring a large pot of water to boil; add salt and pasta and cook to al dente stage. 2 Meanwhile, heat enough olive oil to just cover the bottom of a large skillet.

Add peeled garlic cloves to the skillet, pressing with a wooden spoon until browned; then remove garlic. 3 Add scallions and tomatoes; sauté until cooked down to a rich consistency, using the back of the wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes against the sides of the pan. 4 Stir in the olivada, cayenne and salt to taste, and keep warm. 5 Drain the pasta when it is done and immediately toss it with a little olive oil. 6 In a separate pan or a wok, heat a small amount of oil, then 7 Stir fry the eggplant cubes over medium-high heat, tossing until cooked through. 8 Add the cooked tomato sauce to the eggplant and toss well. 9 Then toss the sauce with the cooked pasta. 10 Serve with grated cheese and some freshly ground black pepper.