Eggplant & Sausage Bake - September 2019
Ingredients-
● 3 large eggplant- peeled/cut ½” cubes
● 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
● 2lbs Italian sausage removed from casing
● 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
● 3 cloves garlic finely minced
● 1 small onion chopped
● 2 14 ½oz can fire roasted tomatoes
● ¾ cups fresh basil, coarsely chopped
● 8oz fresh mozzarella
● 4oz panko breadcrumbs
● salt and fresh ground paper to taste
Parmesan Sauce Ingredients Below
●3 tbsp butter
●4 tbsp flour
●1 cup low-fat milk
●1 cup freshly shredded parmesan
●½ tsp of salt
Directions-
●Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line two sheet pans with foil for easy cleanup. Brush foil generously with extra virgin olive oil. Drizzle olive oil over cubed eggplant and toss to coat. Arrange eggplant cubes on prepared pans. Sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
●Bake for 15 minutes, then mix eggplant and bake another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
●While eggplant is roasting, make the meat sauce and parmesan sauce. For the meat sauce, heat a medium-large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until lightly browned. Break the sausage up into little pieces as it cooks. Drain excess grease and reduce heat to low. Add Italian seasoning, onion and garlic and cook, stirring continually for 2 more minutes to soften the onion and garlic and let the spices bloom.
●Add fire-roasted tomatoes to the pot and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until sauce begins to thicken, stirring occasionally. Add fresh basil and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat.
●For the parmesan sauce. Melt 3 Tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 4Tbsp. flour into melted butter, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute or until mixture is golden and lumpy. Gradually, whisk in 2 cups low-fat milk, and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thickened. Cover and set aside.
●To assemble lightly grease low baking dish. Arrange half of the eggplant in the pan. Spoon about 1/2 of the meat sauce over the eggplant, spoon ½ of parmesan sauce over and then repeat layers.
●Top with breadcrumbs and Mozzarella cheese.
●Reduce temperature to 350˚F and bake until bubbly and beginning to turn golden in spots, 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
