• 1 pound pasta (rigatoni, shells, penne, etc.)
• 1  small yellow onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• I jar marinara sauce OR 1(28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, juices reserved
• 2 cans Trader Joe’s Grecian style eggplant with tomatoes and onions
• 1 cup lightly packed grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
• 1 ball of fresh mozzarella, grated (about 1 pound)

If you have it, can also add:

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn, plus additional for serving
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (veg or meat), casing removed, sliced and shaped into about 35 meatballs. Fry in olive oil and add to sauce
• Grated ricotta salata, for serving

Step 1: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta according to package instructions but keep it slightly more al dente. Reserve 1½ cups pasta cooking water, then drain and rinse pasta under cold water, and transfer to a large bowl while you cook the sauce.

Step 2: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, skillet over medium. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in red-pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Add sauce OR tomatoes and their juices, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you add them. Add eggplant. Cook until the tomatoes are very soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved pasta cooking water, adding up to 1½ cups as needed to create a silky sauce.

Step 3: If the skillet is large enough, add the rigatoni and eggplant mixture, Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup basil and toss to coat. Otherwise, add the tomato sauce, Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup basil to the large bowl with the rigatoni and eggplant, toss to coat and then transfer to a greased baking dish.

Step 4: Top with remaining 3 cups mozzarella and bake until the sauce is bubbling on the sides and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes. Top with grated ricotta salata.