Pasta with Roasted Eggplant Tomato Garlic Sauce

It's hard to go wrong with this combination, and as we start to head into fall, roasting becomes more appealing. This is great with some sausage tossed in; I recommend lamb sausage if you can find it (a few local farms do make it). Or cook some ground lamb and toss that in.

2 heads garlic, cloves peeled and left whole
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed (2-3 cups)
4 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 lb pasta
Crumbled feta for topping (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the garlic cloves, eggplant, and tomatoes in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then toss to coat well. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

While the vegetables roast, cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water. Drain, toss with a little olive oil, and set aside.

When the vegetables are nice and tender, mash or partially puree them into a sauce. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Toss with the pasta until well coated. Serve hot, topped with crumbled feta at the table if desired.

Serves 4-5.