Twenty-something and starving

All I’ve been concerned with lately are final exams and working enough to afford gifts for all those near and dear to me. I’ve been worrying my silly little head so much these last few days that I almost forgot about cooking! Almost, but not quite.

I have what some may consider an arsenal of recipes at home just waiting to be prepared. I have stacks of magazine with recipes I can’t force myself to part with, over a dozen cookbooks for me to search for inspiration in, as well an ever-expanding collection of original recipes I’ve developed over the last few years. When the last thing on my mind is cooking, that’s when my arsenal comes in handy.

This time around, it’s one of my personal recipes that saved the day. With the first snowfall behind us, I knew it was time to break out the big guns. I needed something hearty, not too labor intensive and, of course, delicious. This time around, it’s my mozzarella pasta with sausage and eggplant ragout.

This ragout is perfect for finals week. Once all of the ingredients are combined, just pop on a cover and leave it alone, leaving you with plenty of time to study. For my vegetarian friends, you can easily make this versatile pasta dish meatless by omitting the sausage and adding some zucchini and bell peppers to give this dish a lovely ratatouille feel to it. 

Mozzarella Pasta with Sausage and Eggplant Ragout

1 pound rigatoni
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound hot and sweet Italian sausage
1 eggplant, salted, rinsed and cubed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 red onion, dices
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato paste
½ cup chicken stock
1 tbsp oregano
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
1 8 oz block of part-skim mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 bunch fresh basil
Handful of fresh parsley
Parmesan Cheese

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over low heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. When it starts to smell yummy, increase the heat to medium-high and add the sausage.

2. Brown sausage on all sides and break it apart with the end of your spoon. The size of the pieces can vary; it makes it more rustic. Add the shallots and onion. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the onions become tender. Add eggplant and cook until soft.

3. Reduce heat and add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Fill the tomato paste can with water to remove any remaining paste and pour into the pot. Add all of the dried spices. Cover and let cook 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove lid and stir in stock. Replace lid and allow to cook on low for 1 additional hour.

4. For pasta, bring a large, liberally salted pot of water to a boil and cook according to package directions. Strain and pour into the sausage and eggplant mixture. Stir well, and add cubed mozzarella, stirring constantly to avoid cheese sticking to the pot. Tear fresh basil into the pasta and sauce mixture and stir well.

5. Pour into a large serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese.

6. Serve and enjoy!