Don’t you just love a savory pie for dinner? This pie can also be made with diced zucchini and onion if you are not an eggplant lover, but give it a chance as is … the eggplant gives this main dish a lovely earthiness that goes well with a dry red wine.
Ingredients (makes 4-6 slices):
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium eggplant (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds) – peeled, 1/2 inch dice
4-6 cloves of garlic (depending on size) – minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or 2 teaspoons of fresh herbs)
1/2 cup red table wine
3/4 pound of Sweet Italian Sausage (pork, turkey, or Morning Star Meal Starter Crumbles)
6 ounces of thin spaghetti (1/2 a box) – we used whole grain pasta.
1/2 pound mozzarella, small dice or shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed tomato (or pasta sauce)
1 frozen Puff Pastry, defrosted and rolled out thin
Directions:
1. Saute eggplant, garlic, crushed red pepper and italian seasoning in olive oil in a large pan, until eggplant starts to turn golden. Remove to a large bowl.
2. Remove sausage from casing and saute in the same pan, breaking apart to make small bits. Drain off and discard any excess oil or liquid from sausage.
3. Add wine to sausage in pan, continuing to cook until wine is mostly evaporated. Add to eggplant mixture.
4. Cook pasta for no more than half the recommended time (only 2-3 minutes) in salted water, drain completely and add to eggplant/sausage mixture.
5. Add both cheeses and tomato sauce to mixture and combine well. Mixture should be moist, but not runny. Taste for seasoning.
6. Fit part of the puff pastry dough into the bottom of a standard pie pan, and up the sides. Add mixture and press down firmly with a spatula to compact.
7. Top with remaining dough, pinching top and bottom pieces together to seal. Cut small holes in top to allow steam to escape.
8. Place pie dish on a cookie sheet to catch any drips, and place in a 400 degree oven for one hour.
9. Remove from oven when dough has puffed up and is browned, allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Recipes from the Black Dirt 