Penne with Italian Sausage & Eggplant

I was watching "The Kitchen" when Brian Boitano made Rigatoni with Spicy Chicken Sausage. He had eggplant in the dish. Since I had some eggplant I needed to use, I decided to give his recipe a try. Here is the original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/brian-boitano/rigatoni-with-spicy-chicken-sausage-asparagus-eggplant-and-roasted-peppers.html

I thought the recipe was a little boring, so I made some modifications. Here's my recipe:

Pasta with Spicy Sausage & Eggplant

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 lb mezze penne
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 baby eggplant (about 6 ounces) stemmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tsp Creole seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb mushrooms, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 pkg creamed spinach
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Add the asparagus and cook for 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

In the asparagus water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. If large chunks remain, put in food processor and pulse. Transfer the sausage to a plate.

Add ¼ cup olive oil to the skillet, add the eggplant, season with 1 tsp Creole seasoning and pepper, and cook until brown and just tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to plate and set aside.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan. Saute mushrooms until brown. Transfer to plate and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the asparagus, sausage, eggplant, mushroom and creamed spinach. Add red wine vinegar. Add the remaining Creole seasoning.

Add the pasta, Parmesan and parsley.

Taste the pasta and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a large bowl and serve immediately.

The creamed spinach added a nice sauce and the Creole seasoning gave it a zing. I liked it.



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