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Eggplant and meat pasta with grated Parmesan Cheese
Roberta Di Rosa

Eggplant and Meat Pasta

A variation of Pasta alla Norma made with crumbled sausage, eggplant, and tomato sauce.
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups rigatoni pasta 400g
  • 3 or 4 medium sausages depending on how rich you prefer it
  • 1 large eggplant cubed
  • 1 large glass bottle tomato sauce divided
  • 2 cloves garlic smashed
  • 1 tsbp EVO oil
  • to taste salt plus extra for eggplant and pasta water
  • to taste black pepper
  • 1 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
  • as needed water for boiling pasta
  • 1 cup cubed mozzarella optional, for baked version

Method
 

  1. Cube the eggplant, cover with salt, and place in a colander with a heavy object (like a pot or heavy cups) on top for 10 minutes to release water.
  2. Boil water, add salt, and cook the pasta according to box instructions.
  3. If the pasta is ready before the sauce, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
  4. Preheat a large pan on medium-high heat. Rinse the eggplant to remove extra salt, squeeze it dry, and add to the pan. Stir for 1 minute to dry any extra water.
  5. Add the crumbled sausage meat, smashed garlic cloves, salt, and black pepper to taste. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the eggplant is crispy on the outside and soft inside, and the sausage is golden.
  6. Add half the bottle of tomato sauce, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
  7. Mix the pasta into the pan. Check the consistency and add more tomato sauce if desired.
  8. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese added directly to each dish.
  9. Optional baked version: Mix in more tomato sauce and 1 cup of cubed mozzarella. Place in a casserole dish and bake for 35 minutes in a fan-assisted oven at 350°F.

Notes

The recipe lists 1 tbsp EVO oil in the ingredients, but the instructions note that the sausage fat provides a fried effect without needing to add oil.
Total time: 35 minutes + time to cook the tomato sauce.