Ingredients:
2 globe eggplants (about 1½ pounds)
1 large red onion
1 1/2 poundsripe cherry tomatoes, divided
1/2 cupplus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for serving
3 tablespoonsred or white wine vinegar, divided
1 teaspoongranulated sugar
1 teaspoonkosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cuppitted green olives, preferably Castelvetrano, halved
3 tablespoonscapers, drained and dried
1/4 teaspooncrushed red pepper flakes
12 ouncesfarfalle or other short-cut pasta of your choice
1/4 cuptoasted pine nuts
Fresh basil leaves
1 (4-ounce) ball of burrata (or two 2-ounce balls)
Directions:
Heat the oven to 325°F. Cut the eggplants into 1-inch cubes. Peel the onion, trim the root, and slice it into ½-inch-thick wedges. Set aside 8 ounces (about one third) of the tomatoes for serving.
Combine ½ cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture onto a sheet pan.
Add the eggplant, onion, and remaining 1 pound (about two-thirds) of the tomatoes to the baking dish. Stir to coat in the olive oil and vinegar mixture. Roast the vegetables in the oven until soft and jammy, about 1 hour and 45 minutes, stirring every 20 to 30 minutes.
While the vegetables roast, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, olives, and capers and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic just begins to turn golden at the edges, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the red pepper flakes. Set aside.
When the vegetables are done, add the remaining tablespoon of vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Then fold in the garlic mixture and stir to combine.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Halve the remaining 8 ounces of the tomatoes and add them to a medium bowl. Toss with a light sprinkle of salt and set aside.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions or to your liking, tasting often for doneness. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta (but don’t rinse it!).
Return the pasta to the pot and scrape in the roasted vegetables. Loosen the sauce with reserved pasta water as needed and season to taste with salt and pepper. Drain the salted tomatoes, if needed, then add them to the pasta with half of the toasted pine nuts.
Serve at room temperature, either on a platter or in individual bowls, topped with the remaining pine nuts, a handful of fresh basil leaves, and the burrata. Cut into the cheese and finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and black pepper, if you’d like.