Heat oil in a saucepan over moderate heat. Add onion and cook a few minutes. Add garlic and cook until onion is soft but not browned. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, hot pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir, bring to a boil, and simmer 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat, add basil and let cool at room temperature. Check for seasonings.

Meanwhile, trim (but don't peel) eggplants. Cut into 1/4" thick slices. Spray a nonstick skillet with olive oil cooking spray and cook slices over medium-high heat in batches until browned, 3-4 minutes on each side. (Add more spray to skillet - off the heat - or eggplant slices, as needed). As eggplant slices are done, put them on a serving platter, slightly overlapping each other. Season slices with salt and pepper.

Pour tomato sauce over eggplant, sprinkle with cheese, and garnish with basil sprigs.

I serve it with either cooked rice or potatoes or you can go the Italian restaurant route and use pasta. Also polenta would be good.

sumptuous antipasto tables, many room-temperature foods taste as good or better than foods that are hot or cold. That's because the flavors aren't masked by extreme temperatures at either end of the spectrum.