I am cooking a real special meal today!
Big Goo brought home two beautiful eggplants and I thought this would be perfect to make my favorite pasta dish.
Pasta with Eggplant, Sausage and Pancetta!
Traditionally I make this dish minus the eggplant but I wanted to veggie up dinner!
I started by roasting the eggplant with olive oil and lots of spices.
You want to season the eggplant because it’s all about layering the flavor.
Plus, eggplant can be boring so spice it up folks!
Next, I sauteed onion and garlic and added my Italian sausage to the mixture.
The best ingredient of them all next to cheese is the Pancetta!
Yes, the Pancetta is what takes this dish to another level!
If you don’t like Pancetta you can always use bacon.
Yep, bacon would work just fine.
When I use bacon I always fry the bacon first, then use the bacon grease with a little olive oil to cook the onions in.
Just a little bacon tip for ya’!
After all the meat is cooked, we add the roasted eggplant and tomato sauce.
Don’t forget to save your pasta cooking water.
Add the pasta water to thin the sauce out nicely.
Toss in the cooked pasta, add the cheese and parsley and mix well.
I serve this with a side of my famous garlic bread and more cheese.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 lb rotini pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
- 2 medium eggplant, diced 1 inch thick
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casing removed
- 1 cup diced pancetta
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons creole seasoning
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- pinch of sugar
- extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Mix seasoning blend and set aside.
- Preheat over to 500 degrees.
- Place eggplant on baking sheet, coat with olive oil and 1 tablespoon of seasoning blend, mix well, roast about 15 minutes.
- Add about 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan over medium heat.
- Cook onion about 5 minutes, add garlic.
- Add sausage and break up with the back of a spoon. Cook for about 10 minutes
- Season with 2 tablespoons of seasoning blend.
- Add pancetta and cook about 7 more minutes.
- Bring pasta water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
- Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water and set aside.
- Drain and rinse pasta with hot water, drain again and coat with olive oil, set aside.
- Add eggplant to sausage mixture, top with tomato sauce, pasta cooking water and remaining seasonings.
- Cook 5 more minutes, add pasta, parsley, stir, mix well.
- Toss in cheese and serve.
