Rigatoni with spicy sausage sauce: saute garlic in butter, brown sweet Italian sausage, and then add chopped fresh tomatoes and cook down. Finish with cayenne and lots of grated parmesan before tossing with the pasta and pasta water. Mrs. C liked this, even though she is not usually much of a tomato sauce fan.
Grilled eggplant with garlic, rosemary, and black pepper. Halve and score Japanese eggplant in a crisscross pattern, sprinkle with salt, and set aside to drain. Fill cuts with garlic, rosemary, black pepper, and olive oil, and then broil, basting occasionally with more olive oil. A favorite.
Both from 'Marcella's Italian Kitchen'. I have not cooked much Italian lately, but friends stopped by for a Pug Play Date and we thought they might stay for dinner (they did not, but best to be prepared).
