This is a wonderful time of year for this lusty pasta dish, surely one Cristforo Colombo might have enjoyed today. I created a version of this dish for Bon Appetit last year but have made some adjustments since. Now I make it with mezzi rigatoni (a shorter version) and fresh buffalo mozzarella. Any fresh mozzarella will do, and provola (smoked mozzarella) is also pretty divine.

Happy Columbus Day. Enjoy the long weekend-- a great one for cooking. To drink? Try a high-end Barbera or re-discover Chianti.

1 unpeeled large eggplant (1-3/4 pounds), cut into 1/2 inch cubes 2 medium yellow peppers, cut into 1/2-inch squares 2 cups grape tomatoes 3 large garlic cloves 1/3 cup olive oil 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves 1 cup freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 1/4 cup pine nuts 28-ounces whole tomatoes in juice 1 cup heavy cream 1 pound mezzi rigatoni 1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet and add eggplant and peppers. Cut tomatoes in half and add to baking sheet. Using a garlic press, squeeze 1 garlic clove onto vegetables. Drizzle with oil and toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast until vegetables are tender, stirring often, 35 to 40 minutes. Combine 2/3 cup basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, and 1 garlic clove in a processor. Blend just until crumbly and season with salt. Blend tomatoes with juice, cream, 1-1/3 cups basil, and 1 garlic clove in processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cook pasta in pot of boiling water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally; drain. Return to pot. Toss with vegetables, sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Transfer to a 13x2x9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella and pint nut topping. Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and serve. Serves 8

About one month ago, while perched atop the Amalfi coast nestled in a friend's villa in Ravello, the conversation about chocolate eggplant ensued. Our hosts, the consummate foodies, told us about a particular trattoria in Amalfi that served chocolate eggplant for dessert. But our friend couldn't remember the name of the place nor did she know that some version of this unique dessert is famous, or typical, in that area -- especially in spring and summer. Knowing our friend's taste for the discreet, we ambled along the main street of Amalfi (after sampling a cannoli at the well-known pasticceria Pansa), asking everyone where we could find it. No one seemed to know. That is, until we got to the Macelleria and inquired. "Next door!," the affable butcher said. "They have it at the nice trattoria next door but they don't open until 6 p.m." We waited.

While my husband loved his main course of butterflied sardines, that were lightly battered and sauteed (including a gossamer layer of cheese to hold them together), I devoured my dish of grilled provola in lemon leaves (another dish typical of the area) at the lovely Trattoria dei Cartari. But I longed for the eggplant. It arrived and certainly stole the attention of the two children sitting next to us. For awash in a sea of dark molten chocolate strewn with pine nuts, were two thin slices of shapely eggplant, fried twice (as the waiter told us). The eggplant had a texture that tasted almost like thick moist apricot leather, and I couldn't figure out how it was done. I must say that it was very, very good! The slight bitterness of the eggplant played against the flavor of the not-too-sweet chocolate, accented with toasty notes of almonds. It was worth searching for and yes, it was the place our friend frequented. The next day, not fully satisfied that I understood the concept, we went to the shop of the most famous pastry chef of the Amalfi coast -- Salvatore di Riso (Sal for short). There, the chocolate eggplant was interpreted into a fudgey square of layered eggplant, thick chocolate (ganache-like) and candied fruit, flavored with liqueur (probably Concerto, a liqueur popular in that region), and served icy cold. While festive and interesting, I preferred the simple, warm, almost earthy version we had in Amalfi. However improbable it was, it was delicious.

I have not prepared the recipe I offer below, but searched for one that most closely approximated the dish we liked. A recipe for Sal di Riso's "Melanzane al Cioccolato" can be found at www.francinesegan.com.

Chocolate Eggplant (courtesy of the Canadian Food Network)

2 eggplants, thinly sliced lengthwise coarse sea salt flour for dredging olive oil, for deep-frying 16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, in small pieces 1 cup milk 1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped

Prep the eggplant by salting the slices and laying them in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat very dry. Dredge eggplant into the flour and fry in olive oil set at 375 degrees. Do not fry too many pieces at one time (it will lower the cooking temperature.) Lay on paper towels to absorb oil. (Note by RG: you might want to fry it again to best approximate the texture we experienced in Italy. You may also use lightly toasted pine nuts instead of the almonds.) Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water until smooth. Whisk in enough milk to make it creamy but still rather thick. Pour over the eggplant and sprinkle nuts on top. Let sit at room temperature or serve slightly warm. Serves 6 or more.