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Eggplant Sausage Pasta

You can rarely go wrong with pasta! This is a simple, delicious dinner, and a favorite in our household.
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Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 20 mins

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Tbsp Olive oil, plus more for cooking
  • 1 Large Eggplant, chopped into 1" cubes
  • 3-4 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 28 oz. Can Whole, Peeled Tomatoes, strained and chopped
  • 1/2 Lb Sweet Italian Sausage, precooked and sliced into rounds
  • 1 Lb Pasta of your choice (I used linguini for this recipe)
  • 1/2 Cup Pasta Water reserved
  • 2 tsp Dried thyme
  • 1 tsp Dried oregano
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp Dried chili flakes
  • Salt + Pepper, to taste
  • Grated parmesan for topping (optional)
  • Fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Instructions
 

For the Pasta

  • Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil, with a small handful of salt, for your 1 lb of pasta.
  • Once the pasta water is boiling, stir immediately for a minute or so and then allow to cook until al dente. Before straining, reserve 1/4 Cup of pasta water for the sauce to simmer in.
  • If you cook the pasta ahead of time, drizzle a bit of olive oil on it after straining, so that it doesn't stick together! Set aside and make the sauce.

For the Sauce

  • Open the can of tomatoes and dump the tomatoes into a strainer. Use your hands to break open each tomato, since there is also a lot of water inside the tomato. Allow the tomatoes to strain while you start cooking the rest of your vegetables.
  • In a large pan add a few lugs of olive oil, the garlic and set the heat to medium-low.
  • Saute the garlic about 2-3 minutes, stirring every so often so that it doesn't burn.
  • After the garlic has cooked 2-3 minutes add the chili flakes and allow them to cook for about 30 seconds. Then add the chopped eggplant and allow the eggplant to saute about 5-6 minutes. Stir every so often, but during the time, chop the strained tomatoes, and set aside any puree that has been left in the strainer.
  • Once the eggplant has browned slightly (about 5-6 minutes), add the tomatoes and any tomato puree/sauce leftover in the strainer, as well as the thyme, oregano, a good sprinkle of salt and pepper.
  • Add the few tablespoons of olive oil to the eggplant, tomato and garlic and turn the heat on low. Allow the tomatoes to cook and break down slightly for about 5 minutes.
  • Add the sausage and reserved 1/4 cup of pasta water, and simmer on low for an additional 3-4 minutes.
  • Once everything has cooked together into a thick, chunky, slightly saucy vegetable medley, add all of the pasta into the pan. (If you're afraid your pan won't be big enough, you can alternatively pour the pasta back into the pot after cooking and then mix the veggie sauce into the pasta instead).
  • Season with a bit more salt and pepper as needed, and mix until all of the pasta is evenly coated. Add roughly chopped basil and garnish with a generous sprinkle of parmesan.