PASTA WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT, RICOTTA, AND BASIL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• In a jelly-roll pan toss eggplant with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper to taste and roast in oven, shaking pan occasionally, until golden and tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• While eggplant is roasting, in a heavy skillet cook onion, garlic, and bell pepper with salt and pepper to taste in remaining tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.
• Add tomatoes and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes and pepper are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Stir in vinegar and roasted eggplant.
• In a kettle of boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente and drain well, reserving about 3/4 cup cooking water. In a bowl toss pasta well with sauce, ricotta, basil, Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste, and enough reserved cooking water to reach desired consistency.