Instructions

1. Prepare a medium to large bowl with 4 cups water, salt and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Once the eggplant has been diced, add the cubes directly to the water. Salt extracts any bitterness, while the sugar preserves the color. Leave the eggplant to sit in the water for ten minutes. Drain all of the liquid and squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the eggplant with a kitchen towel. Set the dried eggplant aside.
2. For the sauce, place a large saucepan over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and allow the oil to heat for 30 seconds. Add the smashed garlic and cook for roughly 30 seconds, stirring frequently to ensure it doesn’t burn. Once lightly toasted and aromatic, add the chopped tomatoes, eggplant, and salt. Stir to coat all of the ingredients evenly, and cook for roughly 6 to 8 more minutes, stirring often. Once it has reached a saucey consistency and the eggplant has softened, turn off the heat and allow the sauce to sit until the pasta is ready.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt. Cook the pasta until just al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions.
4. Using a pasta spider or slotted spoon, scoop the pasta directly from the pasta water to the warm tomato-eggplant sauce. Turn the heat back up to medium. Add the fresh mozzarella to the sauce and stir frequently so it starts to melt. Once the cheese has melted into the sauce, taste and add more salt if needed. Add pasta water to loosen the sauce, if necessary.
5. Serve with a few leaves of basil and freshly grated Parmigiano, if desired.