Ever crave a specific kind of fruit or veggie? Lately, I’ve had an appetite for eggplant. So I decided to recreate a recipe I spotted on Instagram featuring, you guessed it, aubergine.
I even made a special trip to the grocery store to procure the starring ingredient. Despite continued crowd-control measures, I didn’t have to wait in line to shop or pay. It was meant to be.
Pasta with eggplant, kale and sausage is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, in my opinion. The primo piatto is cheesy and meaty but not heavy. And it’s packed with flavor, thanks to the addition of a whole head of roasted garlic in the sauce.
If you’re in search of a simple yet satisfying dish, consider pasta with eggplant, kale and sausage. Or share your favorite brinjal recipe in a comment below – I’d love to hear from you!
Recipe adapted from Dawn Perry.
- 2 small eggplants, cut into 1" cubes
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt, plus more, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more, to taste
- 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
- ½ pound hot Italian sausage, removed from its casing
- 2 cups packed torn lacinato kale leaves
- 12 ounces girelle or other short pasta
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place eggplant on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons olive oil, season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and toss to coat. Place garlic on a piece of foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with ¼ teaspoon salt and a generous pinch of pepper, and fold to enclose. Place on the baking sheet with the eggplant.
- Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and stir eggplant gently. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until eggplant is caramelized and fork tender. Set aside.
- In a large pot, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown, breaking it into bite-size pieces with a spoon.
- Once sausage is browned, add kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until just barely wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Squeeze out roasted garlic and add to pot; crush the cloves with the back of a wooden spoon. Add roasted eggplant.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook girelle 2 minutes less than al dente according to package directions. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked pasta to pot with eggplant, kale and sausage.
- Add 1 cup reserved cooking liquid to pot; stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
- Add Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. If necessary, add more reserved cooking liquid to loosen the sauce.
- Add parsley and stir to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
