Rigatoni with Eggplant and Sausage

Uncle Chris made this dish one night when I was absolutely exhausted and didn't want to cook. He'd seen Bobby Flay on the Today show, and thought he'd give it a go. It was absolutely delicious. It's now a part of our regular rotation.

Basic Tomato Sauce EVOO 1/2 onion chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 28 oz can peeled wole tomatoes 2 T. chopped fresh basil 2 T. chopped fresh parsley pinch of sugar

Pasta 1/2 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1" chunks 1/4 c. + EVOO Rigatoni 3 links Italian sausage (or pancetta would be great too) meat released from casing 1/4 c. red wine 1/4 sour cream 1 t. oregano 1 1/2 T. chopped fresh basil basic tomato sauce (above)

For the sauce Heat oil in a saucepan, cook onions until softened (5 minutes). Add garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add tomatoes and their juices and cook on low for about 45 minutes. Use a potato masher to break tomatoes apart as they cook. Stir in parsley and basil and use immediately or freeze for up to 1 month. For the Pasta Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place rack in the middle of the oven Line a sheet pan with foil, and spray with non-stick spray Place the eggplant on the sheet pan in a single layer, drizzle olive oil on top, season with salt and pepper, place in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes Meanwhile, bring a big pot of well salted water to a boil. And cook Rigatoni for 2 minutes less than package instructions (7 to 9 minutes). Reserve one cup of pasta water when the pasta is done. While the pasta cooks, use a sauté pan to heat oil and cook the sausage. When sausage is done, remove from the pan. Add wine to the pan and reduce by half. Then add the tomato sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add sausage and eggplant. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat and add pasta and sour cream. Stir to combine. Add pasta water to get the desired consistency. Stir in herbs.

Chris and Susan Muma