Pasta with Tomato-Eggplant Sauce

This is a very fresh tasting light sauce, which is even better when you have garden fresh ingredients. This sauce keeps well and the flavor improves with age. 5 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups peeled tomatoes, seeded and chopped ¾ cup water ¼ cup tomato paste 1 teaspoon sugar ½ cup chopped parsley 2 tablespoons chopped basil Salt and pepper 1¼ pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into ½ to ¾-inch cubes (1 medium-large eggplant, about 5 cups cubed eggplant) ½ pound spaghetti or vermicelli ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese   In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil, add the garlic, and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Do not brown. Add the tomatoes, water, tomato paste, sugar, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper. Partially cover the pot and simmer the sauce for 45 minutes. In another pot, heat the remaining oil and in it sauté the eggplant until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. When the tomato sauce has been cooking for 45 minutes, add the eggplant, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes more, adding ¼ to ½ cup water if the sauce becomes too thick.   Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water, drain, and cover with the sauce. Top with the Parmesan cheese and serve. Yield: 6 to 8 servings   Recipe from Scratch Made Easy at Adair Country Inn by Judy Whitman. Published by Adair Country Inn, New Hampshire. Produced by Callawind Custom Cookbooks, the award-winning cookbook publisher based in Montreal, Quebec. For more information about Callawind’s cookbook publishing services, please visit www.callawind.com.