Healthy Spicy Sausage and Eggplant Baked Pasta

Sausage and eggplant come along with creamy ricotta and tangy parmesan cheese to create an Italian American consolation dish traditional.

My husband’s household is Italian, so you’ll be able to solely think about how sacred pasta is in our residence. Italian meals is eaten in our residence as typically as Lebanese meals, as our household tradition stems loads from scrumptious meals! At this time I’m sharing a slight twist on a traditional consolation meals, Sausage and Eggplant Baked Pasta. When you like a baked ziti, you then’ll love this baked pasta dish.

Components

• Pasta: I desire to make use of penne or bowtie pasta, however no matter you select, swap the white pasta out for the entire wheat selection so as to add protein and fiber.
• Sausage: In my dish, I used a gentle turkey sausage, however you can combine it up with candy or spicy, and use pork sausage should you don’t care concerning the added fats.
• Onion: I exploit a white onion because it’s gentle, however caramelizes so as to add scrumptious taste.
• Garlic: Nutty, earthy, and candy because it cooks, it’s a staple in most Italian dishes.
• Eggplant: Including the eggplant provides meatiness so you need to use much less sausage. Eggplant additionally absorbs the flavors of no matter it’s cooked in, whereas including creamy texture.
• Tomato sauce: I like to make use of a traditional taste, like tomato and basil, however use what you might have! Retailer-bought or selfmade work nice.
• Ricotta: An awesome supply of calcium and barely candy, it’s a traditional cheese utilized in baked dishes like lasagna.
• Egg: Acts as a binder within the ricotta combination in order that it stays in place whereas baking.
• Parsley: Provides recent, earthy taste to the dish.
• Parmesan: Salty, nutty, and filled with taste, you gained’t have to pile on as a lot cheese for a pungent taste.

Find out how to Make Sausage and Eggplant Baked Pasta

Begin your Sausage and Eggplant Baked Pasta by making ready your produce, like slicing the eggplant into cubes, dicing your onion, and mincing the parsley.

Then in a big skillet, brown your sausage (faraway from the casing). As soon as totally browned and cooked, take away from skillet and put aside.

Whereas the sausage is browning, get your pasta cooking in salted, boiling water.

Then in the identical pan you cooked the sausge, add the diced onion and grated garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper, and prepare dinner till delicate and caramelized.

Add within the cubed eggplant with one other pinch of salt and pepper and prepare dinner till delicate.

Subsequent add your favourite tomato sauce to the sausage and eggplant, and stir till evenly combined. Take away from warmth.

As soon as pasta is cooked and drained, add the sausage, eggplant sauce and stir till evenly coated.

Then to create your ricotta layer, put your ricotta cheese in a medium bowl and add in your egg.

Add within the freshly chopped parsley and blend till mixed.

Then in your most well-liked baking dish, start layering 1/3 of the pasta, coated by half of the ricotta, and proceed till gone. Sprinkle the highest with parmesan cheese earlier than protecting with foil.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, broiling for the previous few minutes to create a bubbly, tacky layer on prime. Then serve with recent parsley and basil, and revel in your Sausage and Eggplant Baked Pasta!

East Substitutions

• Make it gluten-free. Use your favourite gluten-free pasta and sausage to make this dish celiac pleasant.
• Make it vegetarian. There are such a lot of fantastic plant-based sausages today, so use that as a substitute!

Incessantly ASked Questions:

Extra Italian Dishes

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A scrumptious, kid-friendly meal that takes little effort, the entire household will take pleasure in my Sausage and Eggplant Baked Pasta.

Your fork is ready.

Sausage and Eggplant Baked Pasta

Sausage and eggplant come along with creamy ricotta and tangy parmesan cheese to create an Italian American consolation dish traditional.

PREP: 10 minutes

COOK: 45 minutes

TOTAL: 55 minutes

Servings: 6

• Pre-heat oven to 350 levels.

• Take away sausage from casings and prepare dinner over medium-high warmth in a sauce pot sprayed with non-stick spray. Brown 8-9 minutes; take away from pan and put aside.

• Add onion and garlic to the pan with pinch of salt and pepper and saute till softened, about 5-7 minutes.

• In the meantime, combine collectively ricotta, egg and parsley in a small bowl; put aside.

• Add eggplant to the onion combination with one other pinch of salt and pepper stirring often till softened, about 6-7 minutes.

• Add tomato basil sauce to the pan together with cooked sausage and pasta. Test for seasoning and alter accordingly; take away from warmth.

• Pour 1/3 of the pasta/sausage combination right into a 9 x 13 baking pan then prime with half of the ricotta combination utilizing a tablespoon to create huge dollops. Add one other 1/3 of the pasta combination and prime with the remaining half of the ricotta. Lastly, add the remaining pasta then sprinkle parmesan cheese evenly on prime.

• Cowl with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

• Flip broiler on excessive for the previous few minutes to create a bubbly, cheesey, scrumptious topping.

When browning sausage, don’t be afraid of a bit colour. The browner, the higher, as a result of brown = taste!

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Energy: 355kcalCarbohydrates: 40.5gProtein: 19.7gFats: 14.4gSaturated Fats: 4.9gPolyunsaturated Fats: 9.5gLdl cholesterol: 91mgSodium: 1014mgFiber: 7.7gSugar: 8.1g