Canned tomatoes, as opposed to blended tomatoes, add a pleasant richness to the texture of a pasta sauce. Here we have them with reginette, which are wavy-edged, flat and about a half inch (1 cm) wide.You couls also use broad fettuccine or tagliatelle.

See Also

The Pasta Shapes Glossary

The Pasta Shapes Gallery

On Cooking and Serving Pasta

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound (320 g) reginette or similar flat pasta
  
• 1 pint (500 ml) canned tomatoes (for example, these
  
• A medium eggplant
  
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
  
• A scant 3 ounces (80 g) salted ricotta, shaved (this is a firm cheese; in its absence use 1/2 cup shaved pecorino romano)
  
• 1/3 cup pistachio nutmeats, chopped
  
• Vinegar
  
• 4 sage leaves
  
• Olive oil
  
• Cayenne pepper
  
• Salt

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes

• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings pasta with eggplant

Preparation

Slice the eggplant into half-inch slices and briefly grill them on both sides. Marinate the grilled slices for 10 minutes in vinegar, then drain them, squeeze them, and dice them. Put them in a bowl, salt them lightly, and add to them the garlic, sage, a dusting of hot pepper, and 6 tablespoons olive oil. Mix well and marinate for a half hour. When the time is up remove and discard the garlic and the sage.

Set pasta water to boil, salt it when it boils,a nd cook the pasta.

In the meantime, slice the canned tomatoes lengthwise to make tomato fillets and put them and the canning liquid in a saucepot. Add the eggplant and marinade and bring to a boil; check seasoning, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the pasta, stri it into the sauce, and quickly mix in the cheese and the pistachio nuts. Serve at once.

The wine? I might go with a rosato here.