Penne pasta with eggplant sauce

Ingredients:

• 340 g penne rigate or any other short pasta
• 1/2 tbsp. ricotta cheese
• 2 small eggplants (about 450g), cut into 2cm cubes.
• 800 g canned whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for cooking pasta
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Freshly ground pepper
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup fresh basil

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain all but 1/2 cup of the water.
2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
   
   Add half the eggplant, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon. Fry the remaining eggplant in the same manner, adding another 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until the garlic is golden.
   
   Add tomatoes, oregano, salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
4. Add the pasta, eggplant, and reserved pasta water to the pan. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
   
   Before serving, sprinkle with ricotta cheese and basil, drizzle with olive oil.