Main: Farfalle pasta with an Eggplant Basil Sauce.

Sides: Rosemary-olive focaccia and insalata caprese.

Fruits/Vegetables: Pineapple chunks and broccoli.

I ran across the recipe for this eggplant and basil sauce years ago, in my student days. Back then I used to cook for just me, so anything I made was guaranteed to generate a lot of leftovers. It made it so that I only cooked things I loved, lest good food go to waste just because I didn’t care for it.

I made this sauce often, and like most recipes that get made dozens of times, it’s been adapted and changed so much that it’s hardly even the same dish. Through all those times, though, I’ve always used either farfalle or campanelle pasta. There’s just something about those shapes that brightens up any meal.

Served with insalata caprese and homemade focaccia, this is one of my favorite meals.