First, get the eggplant. Rest it on a chopping board and cut it in half. Then, cut it in half again, and again. Each slice should then be cut into strips and then even smaller, into cubes.

Place all of the eggplant cubes into a saucepan.

Now, onto your zucchini! Chop off the top and then the bottom, then slice it down the middle. Slice each half again, then again and also into small cubes and place them into the saucepan with your eggplant.

Now, prepare your olives by chopping them in half, and again, and into cubes. Put them to the side for later on.

Add some water into the saucepan, careful not to fill it too much, but spread it enough to cover your ingredients without drowning them.

Place the saucepan with the vegetables on the stove at a medium-high heat for approx. 20 minutes.

Remember to keep an eye on the vegetables and stir it around every 5 minutes. After 20 minutes, add 3 table spoons of table salt and stir it in.

Your eggplant and zucchini should now be cooked. Remove this saucepan from the stove and carefully pour all of the mixture into a strainer over the sink. The vegetables should be placed back into the same saucepan and back onto the stove. Add the finely chopped onions and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Once the onion begins to brown, add some white wine.

Now, time to add my favourite herb, fresh Italian basil.

The smell that fills your kitchen will be irresistible!

Get the olives that you put to the side earlier, add them to your mixture and stir everything together for at least one minute.

Now, grab a large pot and fill it with 5 litres of water. Put this on the stove at a high temperature until it boils in preparation for the pasta.

By now, your pot filled with water should be boiling. Add a palm full of sea salt to the water and stir.

Then check the cooking time on your packet of pasta, pour the pasta in, and set your timer. Be careful not to ignore the time noted on the packet or you might over or under cook the rigatoni.

Now back to your pasta sauce! The last ingredient for this mixture is pesto. Pour all the pesto from the jar into the mixture using a tablespoon if you need to.

Leave a small amount inside the jar and pour some water into it. Stir this inside the jar and add to the saucepan.

E ora si mangia, Vincenzo’s Plate….Enjoy!