Penne With Eggplant - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 eggplant, halved lengthwise and cut into small pieces
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more if needed
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup sun-dried tomato spread
1 cup tomato sauce, or more if needed
4 leaves chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in eggplant and garlic, and drizzle with remaining olive oil to coat; cook and stir until the eggplant is tender and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the sun-dried tomato spread and tomato sauce; cook and stir until heated, through about 5 minutes more. Add penne and toss. Stir in pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Sprinkle with basil before serving.