Eggplant Pasta Sauce

3 medium-sized eggplants
1 head of garlic
2-3 T olive oil
28-oz good-quality can of tomatoes (I like TJ's whole plum tomatoes with or without basil)
2-3 sprigs of fresh mint
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
~2 T balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
salt & pepper
red chili flakes if desired
rigatoni pasta
Parmesan cheese

Cube the eggplant and remove the skins of the garlic. Pour the olive oil in a roasting pan or 9X13" baking pan, and mix the eggplant and garlic in. Roast at 375-400 degrees for approximately an hour until the eggplant is nicely browned. Remove from oven and pour in the can of tomatoes.

Chop the mint leaves and assemble the food processor or blender while waiting for the roasted veggies to cool a little. Start the pasta. Spoon in as much of the veggies and mint as will fit, and puree. Continue until all has been pureed, adding it back to the pan when finished. Season to taste. Mix in the Parmesan cheese, and then mix the pasta in. Serve, and sprinkle pine nuts on top.

Feeds approximately 4.

Notes: We didn't have any pine nuts, and it was fine without. You could puree them as well if you wanted.
I forgot the lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, and it would have been better with one of them, especially combining with the mint.
I didn't have red chili flakes, and it would have been good with a spicy kick.
I didn't have rigatoni pasta, although the point of this recipe is a vegetarian way of doing a ziti, since the eggplant looks sort of like ground meat, so I used linguini. It was good.
I had some fresh mozzarella balls I almost added in addition to the Parmesan, and I wished I had. It would have been good.