1 large eggplant, skin removed and sliced in half length-wise
½ cup olive oil, divided in half
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, diced
½ cup dry white wine
1 16 or 28 oz can crushed tomatoes, depending on how tomato-saucy you like it
⅓ cup chopped capers
⅓ cup chopped frescatrano or castelvetrano olives
¼ cup mini peppadew or cherry peppers, available at the olive bar at Whole Foods
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 pound rigatoni, orecchiette, or other short pasta
Ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, or breadcrumbs for topping (optional)
Preparation
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place the eggplant on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour two tablespoons of olive oil over each eggplant. Roast the eggplant for 30 minutes, then remove them from the oven, flip, and add another tablespoon of oil to each half. Roast for another 10-15 minutes until the eggplant is jammy and tender.
As the eggplant cooks, prepare the sofrito in a Dutch oven. Sauté the onion and celery in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until translucent. About 5-7 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and bell pepper and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
Add the white wine to deglaze the pan and allow the rest of the liquid to cook off. Add the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally to loosen any sofrito that may have stuck. Add the capers, olives, peppadew peppers, and vinegar.
Chop the cooled eggplant and add it to the tomato sauce mixture. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 20-30 minutes.
While it cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta until al dente.
Strain the pasta and combine it with the eggplant mixture. Stir in the chopped parsley. Top individual servings with ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, or breadcrumbs, or enjoy as is.
