Decided to experiment with some eggplant tonight and found an interesting recipe for a beef and eggplant ragu on eatingwell.com. It made my husband happy since it included beef and provided a great excuse to use my herbs growing outside my door. They seem to be the only plants thriving at this point in time in my yard.
All in all this turned out well. I did forget to add oil when I added the eggplant, but quickly figured out I needed to add some when things got a bit sticky. This small mishap didn't seem to affect the flavor. This dish really features the red wine - so be sure to open up your favorite red to enjoy while cooking and in the recipe. We chose the Kenwood Reserve Sonoma County 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. An ode to Sonoma where we just spent the past weekend.
I loved the dish, the eggplant plays a vital role as well by absorbing all the flavors to enhance the dish. And, overall it didn't take long to make, less than 30 minutes in total, so it makes for a nice week night dinner.
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8 ounces whole grain rotini
.5 pound 92%-lean ground beef
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
3 cups diced eggplant
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
14 oz can tomato sauce
.5 cup red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano from the garden
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil from the garden
.5 teaspoon salt
.5 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
garlic powder + Italian seasoning to taste
Cook Pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook beef, garlic, and fennel seeds in a large skillet over medium heat, until the beef is browned, about 3 minutes. Add eggplant and oil; cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant browns, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, water, wine, oregano, basil, salt and pepper - I decided to add a dash of garlic powder and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. Stir occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta; serve topped with the sauce. - Inspired by Rigatoni with Beef & Eggplant Ragu at eatingwell.com
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