I made this pasta for myself after a strong craving for eggplant and sundried tomatoes led me to my local produce store. There I found a thriving basil plant, which is now soaking in the sunlight on my windowsill. Looks like I'm going to be eating this a lot for the rest of the season, and I couldn't be happier.

I can imagine this would be beautiful served with some fresh bread and a good wine, the kind of meal to be shared with a loved one, or, the recipe can easily be doubled to be shared with multiple loved ones. 

Serves 2 generously.

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4c chopped sundried tomatoes (I didn't use the ones in oil)

200g whole wheat penne pasta*

1/3c pasta sauce (I use a generic, unseasoned type, if you use one that is seasoned then adjust salt accordingly)

Olive oil

Fresh basil leaves

Green olives

Salt and pepper

*this recipe is easily adaptable, so use as much pasta as you feel necessary for two people and adjust sauce quantity accordingly.

Method:

Heat oven to 200 degrees celsius.

Slice eggplant in around 2cm rounds, then cut these into quarters. Place eggplant with garlic in a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Place eggplant in the oven. Cook for around 15-20 minutes, stirring half way through, until nice and tender.

Meanwhile bring a medium pot of water to the boil, and cook pasta according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain pasta, reserving some of the water (around 1/2cup).

Return pasta to the pot with reserved water, sundried tomatoes, eggplant, pasta sauce, and a large handful of chopped basil. Stir over a medium heat until combined and then remove from the heat. If the sauce is too thick, add some more water or sauce until it reaches the desired consistency.

Serve in bowls, topped with olives and additional basil and pepper.