Sausage & Eggplant Pasta with Herbes de Provence

By tulawdog

Ingredients

• 2 lbs eggplant, cubed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 lbs sausage of choice
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp herbes de provence
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1.5 L crushed tomatoes (approx. 2 28oz cans)
• salt & pepper

Preparation

Step 1

In a colander, toss eggplant with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse, pat dry, and set aside.

Remove casings from sausages. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium high heat. Cook sausage meat, breaking up with a wooden spoon until crumbly and no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to slow cooker.

In the remaining oil from the sausage, add the onions, celery, garlic, herbs, and eggplant. Add more oil as necessary to the pan. Saute over medium heat until the eggplant is soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes to the slow cooker, mash into the sausage meat with a potato masher. Scrape cooked eggplant mixture into the slow cooker and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Serve over rotini or penne.