preparation

12 servings
Serving size: 1 cup
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
 
1. To prepare the grilled vegetables, coat an outdoor grill rack with cooking spray or line an oven broiler tray with foil. Heat the outdoor grill to high or the oven broiler to high with the rack set 6 inches from the heat source. Cut the red pepper in half, and remove the seeds and white membrane. Brush the olive oil over the eggplant slices.
2. For an outdoor grill, place the red pepper directly on the rack, skin side down, along with the eggplant slices. For the oven, place the red pepper skin side up on the prepared broiler tray with the eggplant slices. 
3. Grill or broil the vegetables until the red pepper skin blackens and the eggplant slices are soft and lightly charred. The cooking time will vary according to the method used. Remove the red pepper to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool. Set the eggplant aside until cool enough to handle. Once cooled, use your fingers to remove the blackened skin from the red pepper, discard the skin, and cut into small squares. Cut the eggplant into a medium dice.
4. For the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, or until soft. Add the tomatoes and their juice to a bowl. With your hands, gently crush the tomatoes, leaving them coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes, their juice, and the wine to the pan, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and cook uncovered over medium heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a small amount of salt to the water. Add in the rigatoni, and cook until it is al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside. Do not rinse the pasta.
5. Add in the grilled red peppers, eggplant, and the chopped basil to the sauce, and continue to cook for 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thick. Add in the sugar to correct the acidity of the tomatoes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Serve the sauce over the rigatoni, and garnish with additional basil.

Note: The sauce can be made a day in advance of serving or made and kept frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Any leftover pasta and sauce may be kept in a covered container and refrigerated for up to 2 to 3 days. It is not recommended to freeze this sauce and pasta together.