Heres the delicious way to become a Napoletana: go to the marketplace or the garden and choose what is most sparklingly fresh. Put up a big pot of water for the pasta, and get ready. You might not even need CHEESE!!!

Pasta plus eggplant. what more can i say? well quite a bit more, as there are SO MANY ways to make fabulous pasta with eggplant. this is one wonderful way. the secret is: soak in salted water or sprinkle with salt ahead of time. the eggplant becomes light and almost sweet, doesn’t absorb much oil. its sooooo good. and if you aren’t in the mood for spaghetti or pasta, just make the eggplant this way and toss it with toasted cumin, ground or seeds, chopped garlic, and eat it with your fingers. or with yogurt, or…..well its the start of a zillion delicious things to do with eggplant. but start with pasta. you’ll be glad you did!