Pasta and Eggplant Parmesan Parmigiana di Paste e Melanzane Grigliate

Trim the ends of the eggplant, wash them, cut them lengthwise into 1/4-inch (1/2 cm) slices, and grill them on a cast-iron griddle, turning them once.

Put the eggs in cold water to cover, boil them for 10 minutes, run them under cold water to cool them, peel them, and slice them.

Peel and mince the onion. Sauté it in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for a few minutes, until it becomes translucent. Add the tomatoes, a pinch of oregano, and salt and pepper to taste; simmer the mixture for 15-20 minutes. When you turn off the flame, mince the basil and stir it into the sauce.

In the meantime bring pasta water to a boil, salt it, and boil the pasta. Drain it when it reaches the al dente stage, and season it with half the sauce.

At this point preheat your oven to 360 F (180 C). Take an oven dish large enough to hold all the ingredients and sprinkle some of the tomato sauce over it. Follow the sauce with a layer of sliced eggplant, followed by pasta, hard boiled eggs, mozzarella, grated Parmigiano, and a little more sauce. Repeat with a layer of eggplant and continue until all is used up. Drizzle a little olive oil over the dish and bake it for a half hour.

Serve it either hot or cold. The wine? I’d be tempted to go with a Lacrima Cristi Rosso.