Eggplant Tomato Sauce

This sauce tastes meaty! Cube one average-sized eggplant, salt it, and let it sit in colander while you get started on everything else. Chop two ribs of celery, a few white onions, and a few cloves of garlic and saute in a big pot with olive oil and some dried red chili peppers crumbled. Then rinse the eggplant, shake it dry and add it to the pot. Cook it all a bit then add three cans of diced tomatoes and a splash of cheap port or leftover red wine for sweetness and flavor. Add dried or fresh oregano, a bay leaf, and some fresh basil and parsley if you have it. If you like capers you can add them too. Chop up some pitted black olives. This sauce will be fabulous on whole wheat pasta and even better the next day and progressively better through the week! So when you make a lot of it you'll be glad you did! Grate Asiago, Romano or Parmesan cheese on top. I like the sauce at room temperature eaten on a cracker or eaten on a slice of toast with grated cheese on top as bruschetta!