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1
Preheat the oven to 350.
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2
Cook the rigatoni in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
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3
Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
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4
Return the pasta to the pot while preparing the sauce.
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5
Puree the tomatoes with their juices in a blender or food processor.
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6
Pass the puree through a fine sieve set over a bowl to remove the seeds.
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7
Heat 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet.
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8
Line a large plate with paper towels.
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9
Add half of the eggplant to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes.
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10
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to the plate to drain.
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11
Repeat with the remaining eggplant and vegetable oil and add to the first batch of eggplant.
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12
Discard the oil in the skillet.
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13
Heat the olive oil in the same skillet used to cook the eggplant.
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14
Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
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15
Add the zucchini and onion and cook over high heat, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 6 minutes.
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16
Add the tomato puree, basil and oregano and simmer over moderate heat until the sauce is reduced by one-third, about 15 minutes.
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17
Stir in the eggplant and season with salt and pepper.
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18
Fold the eggplant and zucchini sauce into the rigatoni along with the mozzarella and the reserved pasta cooking water.
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19
Transfer the pasta to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
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20
Bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
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21
Serve the pasta piping hot.
