When I stayed in Erice, a medieval town perched on a hilltop in western Sicily, a thick fog swirled through the streets one night as six of us made our way to a tiny trattoria. The menu was limited, so we all ordered the same pasta. Soon the waiter stepped out of the tiny kitchen carrying a huge bowl of busiati, a homemade fresh pasta similar to cavatelli, with a sauce prepared from uncooked tomatoes pounded with almonds, cheese, garlic, and basil, all topped with fried cubes of eggplant and rounds of potatoes. We dug in with enthusiasm. You can serve the pasta with just the pesto, but I love it with the eggplant. Back home I came up with this version.

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

• Vegetable oil for frying
• 8 ounces small potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
• Salt
• 1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ cup almonds (with skins)
• ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped
• ¾ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound fresh or frozen cavatelli or dried pasta such as fusilli

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F.
2. Pour about 1 inch of vegetable oil into a deep skillet and heat over medium-high heat until very hot.
3. Pat the potato slices dry with paper towels and slip some of them into the hot oil in a single layer.
4. Fry, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and tender when pierced, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining potato slices. Keep warm in the oven.
5. Add only enough of the eggplant pieces to the hot oil to fit without crowding and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Cook the remaining eggplant in the same way. Keep warm in the oven.
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
7. Meanwhile, finely chop the garlic in a food processor. Add the almonds and basil and chop fine. Add the tomatoes, cheese, and olive oil and process to a coarse puree. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Add the pasta to the boiling water, stir well, and cook, stirring frequently, until it is al dente. Scoop out some of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
9. Pour the pasta into a large serving bowl. Add the pesto and toss well. Add a little of the cooking water if needed to loosen the sauce. Add the eggplant and toss again.
10. Scatter the potatoes on top and serve immediately.