Baked Pasta with Sausage and Eggplant

Ingredients:

Baked Pasta:

• 2 – 1 lb. globe eggplants, 1/2 inch slices
• 6 TBSP olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 1 lb. penne or gemelli pasta
• 1 lb. sweet or hot Italian sausage, casing removed
• 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, or crushed tomatoes
• 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Sugar, to taste
• 1 c. lightly packed fresh basil, chopped
• 1 c. Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
• 2 c. (or more) mozzarella cheese, shredded

Homemade Hot Italian Chicken Sausage:

• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, ground
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 TBSP red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Roast Eggplant: Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position. Using a vegetable peeler and working from top to bottom, on each eggplant, peel off strips of skin spaced about 1 inch apart. Cut the eggplants crosswise into slices 1/2 inch thick, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush the eggplants on both sides with 3 TBSP of the oil and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Roast until soft with some browned spots, 25 to 30 minutes, flipping the slices about halfway through. Set aside until ready to assemble.
2. Homemade Hot Italian Chicken Sausage: In a bowl combine chicken through vinegar and gently mix to combine. Set aside.
3. Cook Pasta: Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Add the pasta and 1 TBSP salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente (about 1 min less than al dente on the package). Reserve 1 c. of the cooking water, then drain. Set the pasta and cooking water aside.
4. Prepare Sauce: Heat 2 TBSP olive oil in a Dutch over medium until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until starting to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with juices, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium-low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly reduced, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and add sugar, if desired. Stir in the Parmesan until melted, and then stir in the basil and 3/4 c. – 1 c. of the reserved cooking water. Remove from the heat and transfer 2 c. of the sauce to a small bowl. Stir the pasta into the sauce remaining in the pot, then taste and season with salt and black pepper.
5. Assemble: Brush a 9 x 13 baking dish with the remaining 1 TBSP of the oil. Distribute half of the sauced pasta in an even layer in the prepared baking dish. Layer on the eggplant, overlapping the slices to fit, if needed. Spread half of the reserved sauce over the eggplant layer, covering it completely, then sprinkle with half each of the mozzarella. Distribute the remaining pasta evenly on top, followed by the remaining reserved sauce, then sprinkle evenly with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
6. Bake: Bake until the cheese is melted and browned in a few spots, 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Rest: Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

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Baked Pasta with Sausage and Eggplant

Recipe by RC

Ingredients

• Baked Pasta:

• 2 - 1 lb. globe eggplants, 1/2 inch slices

• 6 TBSP olive oil, divided

• Kosher salt and ground black pepper

• 1 lb. penne or gemelli pasta

• 1 lb. sweet or hot Italian sausage, casing removed

• 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand, or crushed tomatoes

• 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

• Sugar, to taste

• 1 c. lightly packed fresh basil, chopped

• 1 c. Parmesan or pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated

• 2 c. (or more) mozzarella cheese, shredded

• Homemade Hot Italian Chicken Sausage:

• 1 lb. ground chicken

• 1 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp. onion powder

• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp. dried basil

• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, ground

• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

• 1 TBSP red wine vinegar

Directions

• Roast Eggplant: Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position. Using a vegetable peeler and working from top to bottom, on each eggplant, peel off strips of skin spaced about 1 inch apart. Cut the eggplants crosswise into slices 1/2 inch thick, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush the eggplants on both sides with 3 TBSP of the oil and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Roast until soft with some browned spots, 25 to 30 minutes, flipping the slices about halfway through. Set aside until ready to assemble.
• Homemade Hot Italian Chicken Sausage: In a bowl combine chicken through vinegar and gently mix to combine. Set aside.
• Cook Pasta: Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Add the pasta and 1 TBSP salt, then cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente (about 1 min less than al dente on the package). Reserve 1 c. of the cooking water, then drain. Set the pasta and cooking water aside.
• Prepare Sauce: Heat 2 TBSP olive oil in a Dutch over medium until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until starting to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with juices, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then reduce to medium-low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly reduced, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and add sugar, if desired. Stir in the Parmesan until melted, and then stir in the basil and 3/4 - 1 c. of the reserved cooking water. Remove from the heat and transfer 2 c. of the sauce to a small bowl. Stir the pasta into the sauce remaining in the pot, then taste and season with salt and black pepper.
• Assemble: Brush a 9 x 13 baking dish with the remaining 1 TBSP of the oil. Distribute half of the sauced pasta in an even layer in the prepared baking dish. Layer on the eggplant, overlapping the slices to fit, if needed. Spread half of the reserved sauce over the eggplant layer, covering it completely, then sprinkle with half each of the mozzarella. Distribute the remaining pasta evenly on top, followed by the remaining reserved sauce, then sprinkle evenly with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake: Bake until the cheese is melted and browned in a few spots, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Rest: Cool for about 10 minutes before serving.