Pasta is my Achilles’ heel. It doesn’t matter who what where when our why, if someone puts a big, hot, steaming plate of carborific noodles in front of my face I’m a goner. And if there’s lots and lots of melty cheese on top, well, I’m weak at the knees just thinking about it.
Pasta understands me. Pasta doesn’t judge me for having two (or three) helpings. Pasta makes me want to go all Eat Prey Love on my life, move to Italy and eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That could totally be a thing.
I realize my love affair with pasta is bittersweet. Those three helpings of pasta I so happily gobbled down last night will probably make me hurt just that much more at the gym tomorrow. But you know what? Sooo worth it.
Since I usually smother my pasta with copious amounts of cheese I try and make up for it by hiding lots of veggies in it. The eggplant in this pasta soaks up all the goodness as it simmers for a flavourful, hearty sauce.
| Sausage & Eggplant Rotini | Print |
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 750g spicy Italian sausage
- 1 large eggplant (or two small), cubed
- 2 celery, diced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 (28oz) cans crushed tomatoes
- 500g rotini pasta
- Parmesan
- Parsley
- In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat and saute garlic and onions until softened.
- While onion is cooking, remove sausages from casings, crumbling into pan and breaking up large pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned.
- Add in eggplant, celery, oregano, salt and pepper and salt and cook until eggplant has softened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, then add tomatoes to pot and stir well. Let simmer on the stove for up to an hour (longer is better!) - until eggplant has cooked down and sauce has thickened.
- Cook rotini according to package instructions
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