Rigatoni pasta with smoked sausage and eggplant

Ingredients:

• 280 g rigatoni pasta
• 2 eggplants (about 0.5 kg), cut in half lengthwise
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
• 4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 hot or sweet raw Italian sausages (about 350 g)
• 1 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
• 0.5 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped
• 1 small clove of garlic, grated
• 0.5 cup ricotta

Preparation:

1. Preheat the grill to high heat. Toss the eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the vegetables cut-side down on the grill along with the sausages. Grill, turning occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the sausages are cooked through, about 4 minutes for the tomatoes and 10-12 minutes each for the sausages and other vegetables. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Set aside 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and discard the rest.
3. Combine the basil, mint, garlic, and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl. Chop the vegetables and sausage and add to the bowl. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and toss to evenly distribute the ingredients, adding more water if necessary. Top each serving of pasta with ricotta. Season with salt and pepper.