Eggplant Tomato Chicken Sausage Pasta Recipes

PASTA ALLA NORMA (EGGPLANT PASTA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 240°C / 450°F (220°C fan). Line a tray with baking / parchment paper.
• Toss eggplant with oil, salt and pepper. Spread on the tray and roast for 20 minutes.
• Flip, then roast for a further 5 minutes. Cool on tray (this helps the eggplant hold its shape when tossing).
• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Start cooking the pasta a couple of minutes after you start making the sauce (next section), until al dente or to your liking.
• Heat oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, cook for 20 seconds until golden, then add onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent and cooked through.
• Increase heat to medium-high and add wine, if using. Let it simmer, scraping the base of the pan to deglaze, until the wine mostly evaporates.
• Add tomato passata. Now pour the water into the passata bottle, screw on the lid, shake, and pour that in too (waste nothing!)
• Add dried herbs, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir and simmer 5 minutes.
• Stir in eggplant, then add cooked and drained pasta. GENTLY toss until pasta is coated in the sauce (so the eggplant doesn't turn into complete mush!).
• Serve immediately, garnished with a good pinch of fresh basil and parmesan.

SAUSAGE AND EGGPLANT FUSILLI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for about 8 minutes, or 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Meanwhile, toss the eggplant with 1 tablespoon salt in a colander; allow to sit for 5 minutes. Rinse with cold water, then squeeze out the excess moisture. Dry well on a paper towel-lined tray.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large straight-sided pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Push the sausage off to one side, add the eggplant and cook without stirring for about 3 minutes. Stir together the eggplant and sausage and continue to cook, stirring often, until the eggplant is soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the shallots and garlic; cook for another 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the reserved pasta water, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the tomatoes and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and simmer for about 8 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the tomatoes.
• Add the pasta to the sauce and sprinkle the Parmesan and provolone on the bare pasta. Using two wooden spoons, toss to combine until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy and coats the pasta.

TOMATO, EGGPLANT AND SAUSAGE PASTA

Steps:

• In a medium/large bowl add the cubed eggplant toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt, leave for about 20-30 minutes, drain any excess liquid but do not rinse before adding to the pan.
• In a large frying pan on low to medium heat, add the olive oil, the eggplant, chopped sausage, fresh tomatoes*, spices, and water, stir and continue to cook on low to medium heat, (stirring often, so the mixture does not burn) until sausage, tomatoes & eggplant are cooked (we like the tomatoes slightly dried). Toss with 3 -4 cups cooked pasta and 1/2 a ladle of pasta water, cook on high heat for about 45-60 seconds stirring constantly. Top with fresh chopped basil leaves and freshly grated parmesan cheese, serve immediately. Enjoy!

SWEET SAUSAGE AND EGGPLANT PENNE

Steps:

• Peel half the skin from the eggplant and then chop into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle the eggplant with salt, and drain a few minutes on paper towels.
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat, and add the sausage. Crumble the sausage and cook until brown. Add the garlic, celery and onions to the sausage. Pat the moisture off of the eggplant and stir the pieces into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables, partially covered, to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and basil. Bring to a bubble and simmer the sauce to combine the flavors.
• Cool and store for a make-ahead meal. Reheat the sauce on the stovetop over medium heat. If the sauce is too thick add a little water or chicken stock if using to thin it out.
• To serve, bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to al dente. Add about 1 cup of starchy water to the sauce. Then drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Adjust the seasoning, then serve in shallow bowls and top with grated cheese and a drizzle of EVOO.

EGGPLANT AND TOMATO PASTA

Steps:

• Place eggplant in a colander and season generously with salt. Fill a 1-gallon plastic bag with water, seal tightly and place over eggplant to weigh down. Let stand for 40 minutes.
• Rinse the salt off the eggplant, and pat dry. Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add eggplant and cook, stirring often, until golden brown on all sides, about 20 minutes.
• Add garlic, tomatoes and their juice to the pan. Stir in the sugar and salt. Simmer until sauce has slightly thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes or longer depending on how juicy your tomatoes are. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add the basil and cook 1 minute more. Serve over pasta.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH EGGPLANT AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta. Get yourself a 9 by 13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Heat a 2 count of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and toss in the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes, you want them nicely browned on the outside but still rare on the inside. Put the sausages in the baking dish.
• Turn the heat down to medium. Add a generous 1/3 cup of oil to the skillet and get it hot. Add as many eggplant pieces as you can comfortably fit in a single layer and sprinkle well with salt. Cook, turning, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the eggplant is nice and browned, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Use a spatula to put the eggplant into the baking dish with the sausage. Cook the rest of the eggplant pieces, adding more oil to the pan, as needed, and putting the finished eggplant into the baking dish.
• Add another 2 count of oil to the skillet, then your onion and garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent. Dump the whole can of tomatoes and their juices into a bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands to break them up; add that to the pan with the basil and cook it down until pulpy and relatively thick. This will take about 15 minutes.
• By this time your pasta water will be boiling. Add the rigatoni, give it a stir, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, it should be slightly firm as it will cook further in the oven. Ladle out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and reserve; the drain the rigatoni.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Chop the sausages into nice big, bite-size chunky pieces and return the pieces to the baking dish. Add the tomato sauce, rigatoni, and the reserved pasta water. Break up half the mozzarella over the mixture, season with salt and pepper, and gently mix with your hands or a spatula. Dust with the Parmigiano and drizzle with more olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes. Spread the remaining mozzarella in an even layer over the top and continue to bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

CHICKEN IN A FRESH TOMATO AND EGGPLANT SAUCE WITH SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; when boiling, salt the water and cook pasta al dente; drain pasta, but reserve ½ cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 3 tablespoons oil; add in eggplant; cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 5-6 minutes.
• Remove the eggplant from the skillet to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Return the skillet to the stove; add in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil; add in the chicken and cook to lightly brown, about 4-5 minutes.
• Add in the onions and garlic; return the eggplant to the skillet, season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes; continue to cook 3-4 minutes.
• Add in white wine and chicken stock; bring to a simmer; cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Add in the cherry tomatoes and pasta water; cook until the tomatoes begin to burst.
• Add in the parsley and cooked pasta; toss to coat, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce tightens up around the pasta.
• Turn off the heat; add in grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; toss to coat the spaghetti.
• Serve warm with crusty bread.

EGGPLANT SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Set sausage aside., In the same skillet, saute eggplant and onion in oil. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, basil and paprika; simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Drain pasta; stir into eggplant mixture. Add sausage., Spread half of the sausage mixture in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Spread with ricotta cheese. Top with half of the cheese and remaining sausage mixture., Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

TOMATO SAUSAGE AND EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the 1/3 cup of olive oil in a 4-5 quart saucepan.
• Add the eggplant and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
• Sautee over medium high heat, stirring freqently 5 minutes or until tender. Transfer eggplant to a bowl.
• In the same pan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onions, celery or fennel, garlic, fennel seed, pepper, bay leaves, remaining salt, basil and thyme. Cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes.
• Add sausage and sautee 5-6 minutes breaking meat up into small pieces while cooking.
• Add chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes with juice, and the eggplant.
• Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, if soup seems too thick add more stock. Remove bay leaves before serving.

EGGPLANT PASTA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggplant; cook, stirring constantly, until eggplant is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and juice; cook until sauce is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 13 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl.
• Pour sauce over pasta.