Pasta alla Norma

Tonight's pasta meal was a success! I first started by cutting three baby eggplant into quarters. I cut out the fleshy seeded center and cut the remaining pieces of eggplant into long strips. I fried the strips in olive oil, garlic and oregano until golden brown. Once the eggplant was finished I put it into a larger pan with more olive oil, garlic and two large stems of fresh basil (chopped, leaves and stems). I added a bit of red pepper flakes and once the mixture was tossed with the olive oil I added a large can of diced plum tomatoes and a touch of white wine vinegar. I simmered the sauce for about a half an hour and then added a half a can of tomato paste, a half a cup of water and salt, pepper, oregano and basil to taste. The sauce thickened nicely. We also had herbed goat cheese toasts and I served the sauce tossed in with spaghetti with small dollops of fresh ricotta on top. The ricotta evened out the eggplant flavor nicely and all in all it was a nice fresh tasting sauce. Very good for the end of summer! Tomorrow: Carbonara with sausage. Wish me luck!