Italian Sausage Casserole With Eggplant Recipes

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 SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook sausage with minced onions, and garlic.
• Add cubed eggplant, when meat is done, and onions are light brown.
• Continue cooking for 7 minutes.
• Add margarine, spaghetti sauce, and pepper. Mix all.
• Put in casserole pan.
• Top with cheese.
• Bake in oven, at 325°F for 50 minutes.
• Serve hot or very warm.

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.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE RECIPE - (4.1/5)

Steps:

• The eggplant: Trim the ends off the eggplant and slice into ¼-inch thick rounds. Layer the slices into a large bowl, sprinkling each layer with kosher salt. Set aside for about 30 minutes. Drain, rinse well in fresh water, and lay out on a kitchen towel covering with a second towel. Let dry for a few minutes. (If you are sure the eggplants are not a variety prone to bitterness you can skip the salting step.) Heat a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and, working in batches, brown the eggplant nicely on each side replenishing the olive oil as needed. Be sparing, though, because eggplant is a like an oil sponge and can easily become too oily. Set aside. The sauce: If the sausage is in links, remove the casing and chop. If using bulk sausage simply break up. Put the sausage in a frying pan and cook over medium heat until well brown and the fat has rendered out. Place in a strainer set in a bowl to drain. Dip the tomatoes in boiling water for a few seconds. Let them cool for a minute or two then peel. Cut out the stems and halve equatorially. Squeeze out the seeds and set aside. Coarsely chop the onion and bell pepper. Finely chop them in a food processor. Heat a bit of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid and sweat the onions and peppers until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a couple more minutes until fragrant. Puree the tomatoes in the food processor and add to the onions and peppers. Tear the herb leaves into the pot. Add the crushed red pepper, sugar, red wine, and black pepper. Cover partially and simmer gently for a half hour or longer. Puree the sauce with a stick blender or, very carefully, in a food processor. Add the sausage and return to a very low simmer until warm through. The dish: Heat the oven to 350° (325° for convection). Cover the bottom of an 8" x 10" x 2"metal or glass baking dish with a thin layer of the sauce. Layer the eggplant overlapping the slices. Cover with the rest of the sauce. Spread the shredded mozzarella over the top and sprinkle with the parmesan. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes. Turn on the broiler and finish until nicely browned. Allow to set for at least five minutes before serving.