Rigatoni With Eggplant

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

Bring a large pot of water to boil; add salt and pasta and cook to al dente stage.

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.

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.

Stir in the olivada, cayenne and salt to taste, and keep warm.

Drain the pasta when it is done and immediately toss it with a little olive oil.

In a separate pan or a wok, heat a small amount of oil, then

Stir fry the eggplant cubes over medium-high heat, tossing until cooked through.

Add the cooked tomato sauce to the eggplant and toss well.

Then toss the sauce with the cooked pasta.

Serve with grated cheese and some freshly ground black pepper.