Start by removing the top and bottom of your eggplant, then slicing it into 1cm thick pieces. Stack the slices and cut them into 4-5 strips.

Coat the eggplant strips in flour to help them get nice and crispy then leave them to the side for any excess flour to fall off.

Next, heat a generous amount of sunflower oil in a shallow fry pan — about 2-3 cups. Once it begins to ripple (you’ll see bubbles) add in the eggplant strips.

Fry for 5 minutes or so (until they turn a nice, dark brown color), making sure not to burn them. Remove them from the pan and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel to help absorb excess oil.

Start by using your tomato crusher to crush your whole peeled tomatoes gently. You can also use your hands for this if you don’t have a tomato crusher.

Next, heat the saucepan over medium heat and add about 5 Tbsp EVOO. Once the oil is heated, crush garlic into the oil and add a splash of water to keep it from burning.

Gently cook the garlic, moving it around with your wooden spoon for about 30 seconds to release the beautiful aromas.

Once the garlic starts to brown, add crushed tomatoes. Gently cook your sauce for about 20 minutes — 30 minutes if you can, stirring it every so often. Slow and steady is better so if it starts to bubble up, reduce the heat and cook it for longer.

Once you can stir your sauce without it looking watery it’s time to add salt and pepper to taste.

Next add in the eggplant strips and gently stir to incorporate them into the sauce. Do this for a minute or two, and then turn off the heat.

Now add fresh basil, picking the leaves off the stems using your hands. Quickly stir this basil into the sauce so the flavors can make love, and set the sauce aside to rest.

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add about 1 Tbsp of salt once it does.

Put your pasta into the salted, boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes – or using packet instructions until it’s al dente.

Stir the pasta a few times to keep it from sticking to the bottom of your pot using the same spoon that you used for your sauce.

Once cooked, strain your pasta — but be sure to first reserve some pasta water (about half a mug - 4-5 ounces).

Put your sauce back on the stove at a low heat.

Add the pasta and mix it into the sauce with your wooden spoon.

Now add half a mug of pasta water to the sauce. The pasta will absorb the sauce, and this will help everything thicken and combine. Add a little more pasta water after stirring, and toss the ingredients together well.

Now, you’ll want to break off some more basil leaves, add them to the pasta and stir to combine.

Add spoonfuls of the desired amount onto a plate and top with the crunchy eggplant.

Then, take your cheese grater (using the side with the larger holes) and grate your cheese over it. You want the cheese to come out in large and long pieces, not small, fine pieces.

Top with some fresh basil leaves.