Eggplant & tomato pasta

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Coarse grained salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can peeled and crushed, or diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, optional
Salt and coarsely ground fresh black pepper
1/4 cup basil (about 10 leaves), torn
Box of Barilla whole wheat penne, cooked al dente

Don't worry if the eggplant begins to stick to the pan while you brown it. It will come up nicely and add a lot of flavor once you put in the tomatoes. I hope you enjoy this meal as much as I do!

Place eggplant in a colander and season generously with salt. Fill a 1-gallon plastic bag with water, seal tightly and place over eggplant to weigh down. Let stand for 40 minutes.

Rinse the salt off the eggplant, and pat dry. Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add eggplant and cook, stirring often, until golden brown on all sides, about 20 minutes.

Add garlic, tomatoes and their juice to the pan. Stir in the sugar and salt. Simmer until sauce has slightly thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes or longer depending on how juicy your tomatoes are. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the basil and cook 1 minute more.

Serve over pasta


Serving Size: makes 6 servings