Pasta with Eggplant Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion
• 1 tsp anchovy paste or 3 anchovy filets
• 1 med eggplant, about 1 lb.
• 2 15 oz. cans diced or crushed tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp sugar
• Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
• Freshly cracked pepper
• 1/2 salt or to taste
• 12 oz. pasta
• Handful fresh parsley, chopped, optional
• 6 Tbsp grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Chop the onion into a dice and finely mince the garlic. In a large skillet or pot set over medium heat, cook the onion, garlic, and anchovy paste in the olive oil until the onion turns soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. While that cooks, cut the eggplant into small 1/2 inch cubes. When the onion is ready, stir in the eggplant and keep sautéing until the pieces are tender and deeply colored, about 10 minutes.
3. When the eggplant has softened, stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, sugar, crushed red pepper, and freshly cracked pepper. Mix everything thoroughly, cover the skillet, and bring it to a simmer. Once it is bubbling gently, lower the heat to low and let it cook for 20 minutes.
4. As the sauce simmers, prepare the pasta following the package instructions, boiling it 7-10 minutes, or until al dente.
5. Once the sauce has cooked for at least 20 minutes, and longer if you need it to, season it with salt to taste. Start with 1/4 tsp, then add more until it tastes right; the total used here was 1/2 tsp.
6. Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot with the heat off. Add the eggplant sauce and toss until the pasta is coated. Finish each serving with about 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan and a little fresh parsley.