When I was quite little my father worked on an excavation in Sicily, and this is one of the earliest sauces I remember. This Recipe is drawn from Ada Boni’s Italian Regional Cooking.

• 6 medium-sized eggplants
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 pounds sun-ripened plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped.
• 6-8 basil leaves, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds spaghetti
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano or Parmigiano
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Olive oil (or corn oil) for frying

Peel and slice the eggplant, salt the slices, and let them sit in a colander for about an hour. Rinse them, pat them dry, and fry them a few pieces at a time in hot oil, turning them so both sides brown, and setting them to drain on absorbent paper.

Next, heat 1/4 cup oil in a pot, sauté the garlic until it browns, and discard it. Stir in the blanched, peeled tomatoes, salt and abundant pepper to taste, and the minced basil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue simmering the sauce while bringing water to boil to cook the pasta.

Season the pasta with the tomato sauce and the eggplant, sprinkle it with much of the cheese, and serve it with the remaining cheese on the side. This should serve six. The wine? A Ciró Rosato or Rosso would be nice.

A clean version for printing.
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