Spicy Eggplant and Pasta

This is a recipe that I modified from Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef Takes Off. One of the obvious modifications is that I can't eat normal pasta. My favorite substitute for pasta is rice pasta. You will find rice pasta in a lot of ethnic foods (if you have ever had Pad Thai, you've had rice pasta) and I think it tastes pretty awesome. The brand I use is Tinkyada and it can be found in most grocery stores.

Some things to know about rice pasta.

1. You don't want to over cook it. Even the brands that advertise "Not Mushy" will get mushy really fast if you don't watch it
2. The pasta will stick together if you let it sit by itself (without sauce or oil or anything)
3. Some people like to make pasta and freeze it. This pasta doesn't hold up to that very well so it's better to make it fresh (I tend to not make an entire package)

So that's the big modification. Now for the sauce. This is my rendition which excludes olives (Nate doesn't like them) and uses things that I had on hand

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, diced
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• olive oil
• 14 oz can of peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
• salt and pepper
• shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 bag rice pasta, Fettucini style

In a sauce pan, heat up about a tablespoon of olive oil. Fry the eggplant with coriander and crushed red pepper in the hot oil until they are golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens into a sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the rice pasta in salted water. When the sauce and pasta is done, combine and add cheese and mix together. Enjoy!