Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside.

Heat 5 tablespoons of the reserved oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped shallot and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the finely diced eggplant to the skillet and sauté for another 3 minutes until it begins to soften.

Stir the drained sun-dried tomatoes along with any remaining oil into the skillet with the eggplant, shallot, and garlic. Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend. Then add the tomato purée and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with the crushed red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper to taste. I like to add an extra pinch of black pepper here for a deeper flavor.

Stir in the ricotta, cooked rigatoni (from Step 1), and a big splash of the reserved pasta cooking water, if needed, to loosen the sauce. Toss everything well so the rigatoni is evenly coated and the ricotta melts into the sauce. Cook for about 1 minute, just until everything is heated through and the flavors are well combined. Taste and adjust salt if needed. For a silkier sauce, I sometimes add a little extra pasta water at this stage.

Serve the pasta immediately while hot, making sure each portion has plenty of sauce and chunks of eggplant and sun-dried tomato. Enjoy!