Summer pasta

By á-25372

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
• Salt
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup olive oil1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 onion peeled and chopped
• 2 celery ribs diced
• 1 carrot peeled and diced
• 1 28 oz can plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 6 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 16 oz. package rigatoni pasta
• 3 1/2 oz. ricotta salata, grated

Preparation

Step 1

1 Sprinkle eggplant with 1 tbsp. salt. place in a colander, cover with weighted plate, and let stand at room temp. 20 minutes. rinse eggplant and pat dry.
2 coat eggplant slices in four. cook in batches, using 2 tbsp. oil for each patch, in large non stick skillet over medium high heat, turning once, 3 to 5 minutes until golden. set aside. repeat with remaining eggplant.
3 cook onions, celery, carrots, and 1/2 tsp salt with remaining olive oil in large skillet over medium heat, 10 to 5 minutes or until golden. add tomatoes and sugar, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes.
4 cook pasta in large Dutch oven until al dente according to package directions. reserve 1/2 cup cooking water; drain pasta and return to Dutch oven
5 add half of eggplant to sauce; cook over low heat 3 to 5 minutes. add sauce to pasta, adding reserved pasta water if needed. garnish with remaining eggplant slices and grated ricotta salata.