Coat a shallow baking pan with cooking spray. Spread eggplant in pan; sprinkle with garlic, then coat with cooking spray. Bake in a 425 oven until golden brown (about 20 minutes).

Meanwhile, heat oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, herb seasoning, and onions; cook, stirring often, until onions are soft but not browned (6 to 8 minutes). Cut up tomatoes; then add tomatoes and their liquid to onion mixture. Stir in baked eggplant. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in beans, cover, and continue to simmer until beans are heated through and flavors are blended (about 3 more minutes). While eggplant mixture is simmering, in a 5- to 6-quart pan, cook pasta in about 3 quarts boiling water until just tender to bite (10 to 12 minutes); or cook according to package directions. Drain pasta well and divide among 4 to 6 wide, shallow individual bowls. Stir parsley into eggplant mixture; season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon equally over pasta. Offer cheese to add to taste, if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

"sauce-like" sauce instead of a totally chunky sauce. As usual, I omitted the parsley. This freezes beautifully. 14.8 g fiber, 469.8 cals, 6.3 g fat (7 points)