Pasta alla Norma

This is a Sicilian dish I have seen several recipes for but have never tried. This particular recipe comes from Jamie Oliver's book, Jamie's Italy. It was a good pasta dish ... nothing special or complex but it took no time at all to put together and the eggplant strips were really fabulous.

Pasta alla Norma (serves 4)
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2 large firm eggplants
extra virgin olive oil
1 T. dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
a large bunch of fresh basil, stalks finely chopped, leaves reserved
1 t. white wine vinegar
2 tins of good-quality plum tomatoes or 1 pint passata di pomodoro
salt/pepper
1 lb. dried spaghetti
parmesan , pecorino, or ricotta salata for serving

Cut the eggplants into quarters lengthways. If they have seedy fluffy centers, remove them and throw away. Cut the eggplants across the length, into finger-sized pieces. heat a non-stick saute pan and add a little oil. Fry the eggplant in two batches, adding extra oil if you need to (but you don't want to make it too greasy). Give the eggplants a good toss so the oil coats every single piece and sprinkle on some dried oregano. Using a pair of tongs, turn the pieces until golden on all sides. Once you have cooked the first batch, remove to a plate and do the same thing with the second batch. Don't worry if they are golden but still a little firm to the bite ... they will cook more in the sauce.

When the eggplants are all cooked, add the first batch back to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and add a little oil, the garlic, and basil stalks. Stir so everything gets evenly cooked, then add a swig of vinegar and the tomatoes. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, then taste and correct the seasoning with salt/pepper. Tear up half the basil leaves, add to sauce and toss around.

Get your pasta into a pan of salted boiling water and cook according to manufacturer's instructions. Drain and reserve a couple of ladles of pasta cooking water. Put the pasta back in the pot, add the sauce and a little of the reserved water and toss together. Serve with the remaining basil leaves and grated cheese.