Carissimi amici,
today I prepared a delicious dish that I love! The Candele pasta is a special type of pasta that you have to cut by hand prior to be cooked, exactly like my grandmother was used to do.
I am used to prepare it on Sundays when Spring arrives but especially in the summer when I collect eggplants and basil from the Sant'Anna Garden where we produce many zero kilometers vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium eggplant, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
28 oz can plum tomatoes including juice
salt and fresh ground pepper
basil
pecorino or parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large deep skillet, when hot saute the garlic in olive oil.
- Add eggplant and cook about 10 minutes, until they soften and become brown.
- Add tomatoes to the skillet along with the juices.
- Season with salt uncovered about 15-20 minutes.
- Add fresh basil
- Cook the pasta in hot water with salt until they are "al dente"
- Add the pasta to the tomato sauce with eggplants and keep cooking adding 1 glass of hot water that you used to cook the pasta
- Add pecorino or parmesan cheese and then serve