Pasta alla Norma

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Put the eggplant in a bowl and drizzle with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add salt and pepper and toss. Put the eggplant on a baking sheet and roast for around 20 minutes or until lightly caramelized, but not burned. When done remove it from the oven and set aside.

Boil some water for the pasta.

Heat the remaining oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, around 10 minutes. Add red pepper and garlic; continue cooking until the garlic softens, around 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, some of the basil and a dash of salt and cook for around 6-7 minutes.

Once the pasta water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. This should be around 9 minutes. Drain pasta and add it into the tomato mix. Stir in the eggplant and toss, add the remaining basil and a little salt. Garnish with ricotta salata. As always, I LOVE to hear what you have to say! Boun appetito!