Sausage and Eggplant Penne
Description
Awesome! and weirdly simple! Borrowed from Ricardo, grab your favorite sausage, your favorite pasta, a jar of roasted red peppers and a chopped up eggplant – weeknight dinner is done! Below are my measurements for a slightly larger pot of goodness, and I ramped up the tomato – enjoy!
Ingredients
Topping
~1/2 c. ricotta AND 2 T. chopped fresh parsley (and salt and pepper to taste)
The Rest
olive oil as needed for cooking
1 box (454 g) your favorite bite-sized pasta
1 eggplant, diced (I peeled mine)
~1 lb. your favorite sausage, casings removed – spicy is my first pick but you can always add hot sauce later
1 jar (500 mL) roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
~1 1/2 c. good chicken broth
1 can (156 mL) tomato paste AND 1 can (389 mL) tomato sauce
freshly grated Parmesan for serving
Instructions
Stir together the topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside or cover it and put it in the fridge until dinner is ready.
Cook the pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Time your cooking so this is happening while the rest is being cooked and then drain the pasta well.
In a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook the eggplant in a bit of olive oil and with a sprinkling of salt and pepper until nicely golden. This will take a few minutes, and as it finishes remove it to a plate and set it aside.
When the eggplant is done, add a bit more olive oil if needed and brown the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook the sausage until there’s no pink showing, then add in the eggplant, peppers, broth, tomato paste and tomato sauce. Cook and stir until all is well combined and the mix comes to a boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes, then add in the drained pasta and stir to coat. I usually save a bit of the pasta water to use as needed to make things more saucy, but you decide. Serve up in large bowls with a spoonful of ricotta topping and Parmesan cheese as you wish!
