Casareccia with eggplant in the oven

Preheat oven to 375°. Place the eggplant in a colander, add the salt and toss with your hands. Let stand 30 minutes.

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving a measuring cup of the cooking water. Set pasta aside in a large bowl and stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to prevent it from sticking.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a frying pan or wok and fry the eggplant over high heat until brown, without crowding the pan. If the pan is not large enough, do this in 2 batches. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the pasta in the bowl.

Add the tomato sauce to the pasta and eggplant, stir in the basil, mozzarella, and half the parmesan. Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water to moisten and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a large baking dish.

Mix the breadcrumbs in a bowl with the remaining parmesan and the extra tablespoon oil and mix well. Scatternover the dish, "tent" with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and turn the heat up to 400° and bake another 10 minutes or until the topping is crisp and browning and the pasta mixture is bubbling.