-In the recipe I wrote the weight of the eggplant rather than the count because they come in so many different sizes and it can be hard to generalize. You can use the large Italian eggplant, smaller Holland variety, or, my favorite, the longer Japanese ichiban type. Because I'm not a fan of the eggplant seeds, I prefer the ichiban eggplants because they seem to have the least seeds. If, however, you cut open your eggplants and find that they are full of seeds, just proceed with the roasting and then remove as much of the seedy pulp after roasting, before adding them to the sauce.
-This dish really shines when using fresh tomatoes, but in the winter, when tomatoes are often lacking in flavor, you can easily substitute jarred, strained tomatoes (passata di pomodoro) for part or all of the tomato in the recipe.
-If, after cooking, your eggplant has absorbed all the liquid and the dish has become too thick, stir in a splash of water to loosen it back up.