Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes Eggplant and Pancetta

Driving home from a recent visit to Connecticut, we passed a quiet unattended farmstead on a small back road. The tomatoes were luscious and deep red, and we were happy to contribute to the honor system of payment. When we got home our refrigerator was empty, except for a lonely eggplant, looking for a friend. I made this fresh sauce to cheer it up, along with whatever was hanging around the pantry and the garden.

Fresh tomatoes are one of the many great things about summer.

1 sweet yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 whole tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp fresh oregano

1/2 Tbsp fresh thyme

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup Marsala wine

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 large eggplant, diced 3/4-inch

1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced

1/4 cup pancetta, finely diced

1/2 lb favorite pasta - I used calamari shaped here

Sauté the onion in a wide skillet in a dash of olive oil. Cook about 5-8 minutes until the onion softens and becomes fragrant. Add the garlic, and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and turn up the heat to high.

Cook until the tomatoes start to break down.

Add the oregano, thyme and tomato paste and wine, and continue cooking until a smooth sauce is formed - about 10-15 minutes.

Add the crushed red pepper flakes and simmer while you cook the eggplant and pasta.

Bring about 2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Salt generously. While the water comes to a boil, brown the eggplant and pancetta in a non-stick skillet, in a dash of olive oil until nicely browned.

Season with rosemary.

When water boils, cook pasta al dente. Drain and toss with about half the tomato sauce. Divide pasta about 4 plates and top with the eggplant. Garnish with fresh basil. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

Serves 4.

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