Pasta with Aubergine and Ricotta Cheese

I saw a recipe for a dish called pasta alla norma, which had an aubergine and ricotta sauce over pasta. Aubergines and ricotta go well together, so I thought I’d try that, but as we are aiming to eat less gluten, I used rice pasta. Pasta made from rice is pretty sticky, so be careful not to overcook it.

Ingredients:
2 aubergines
olive oil
salt
sugar
1 onion
4-6 garlic cloves (depending on how garlicky you like it)
1 tbsp fresh or frozen parsley
1 tbsp fresh or frozen basil
about 100 g pasta per person (I used rice pasta, as we are trying to eat less gluten)
2 packages (about 400 g each) crushed tomatoes
1 package (about 200 g) ricotta cheese
black pepper to taste
chilli pepper to taste
paprika to taste

Instructions:
1. Wash and dice the aubergines, then toss with olive oil, salt, and sugar. Bake for about 40 minutes at 180 C.
2. Meanwhile, dice the onion and garlic, and fry with the parsley and basil in olive oil.
3. Set the pasta on to boil. It will take 8-12 minutes, depending on what type of pasta you are using.
4. Add the tomatoes to the onion and garlic and warm gently.
5. Add the aubergine pieces to the tomatoes, then mix in the ricotta.
6. Season with black pepper, chilli, and/or paprika to taste, then serve the sauce over the pasta.