Rigatoni with Eggplant and Ricotta

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the eggplant and bell pepper to the hot skillet. Sprinkle just a little salt over the veggies and toss the veggies to coat them in the olive oil. Cook while stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Once the eggplant is browned add the grated onion and garlic and cook and stir for about a minute. Add the tomatoes, the Italian seasoning (or herbs de Provence), salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on to boil and cook the rigatoni according to the package directions (except you should cook the pasta for about 3 minutes less than the directions state).
4. When the pasta is cooked, remove pot from heat, reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water and then drain the rest of the water off of the pasta. Add the pasta back to the pot along with the cooked pasta sauce. Cook, while stirring, over medium heat. Add about ½ cup of the pasta water to loosen the sauce (if necessary add the remaining ½ cup) and continue heating until the pasta is cooked to your liking.
5. At the last moment stir in the flat leaf parsley.
6. Serve in bowls and garnish with a heaping tablespoon of ricotta cheese.

Notes:
– Remove the ½ cup of ricotta cheese from the refrigerator to a bowl, and allow it to sit out at room temperature while the pasta is being made. If the ricotta is cold it will make the dish cold.
– Penne pasta would also be great in this dish. If using penne, cut the veggies into slightly smaller sizes.