Bucatini Bolognese with Veggies and Sausage
This bucatini bolognese with veggies and sausage combines sweet Italian sausage with eggplant for a rustic and more nutritious sauce. Finished with earthy sage and salty Pecorino, it's still pure comfort food.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces bucatini pasta
- 1 eggplant skin on, cut into chunks
- 1 celery rib cut into chunks
- 1 carrot peeled and cut into chunks
- ½ large yellow onion peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 garlic cloves peeled and left whole
- 16 ounces sweet Italian sausage crumbled
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 and ¼ teaspoons kosher salt divided (1 teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon)
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons no-salt tomato paste (Note 1)
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
- 2 cups whole canned tomatoes crushed by hand (Note 2)
- 1 large bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage sliced julienne
- Italian flat-leaf parsley minced
- Pecorino Romano cheese grated
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package's directions or until al dente. Drain.
- Pulse the chopped eggplant, celery, carrot, onion, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped but still chunky.
- Cook the sausage in a large saute pan over medium heat until just cooked through, 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Transfer it to a plate with a slotted spoon so the grease from the sausage remains in the pan.
- Add the olive oil to the pan, heat it through, then add the pulsed vegetables along with 1 teaspoon salt and some ground black pepper. Cook on a fairly high temperature for about 15 minutes (they'll steam for a while before they begin to acquire some color). Stir occasionally.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 30 seconds. Pour in the broth and simmer for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes along with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and bay leaf; simmer for another 2 minutes. Add back in the sausage and cook on medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes to finish cooking it. Taste and adjust for salt.
- Add as much of the bolognese to the drained pasta as you like along with the sage and parsley. Toss well. Serve and top with grated Pecorino. Enjoy!
Notes
Note 1: No-salt helps control the amount of salt added to the recipe.
Note 2: You can use canned crushed tomatoes, but I think whole tomatoes are more tender and retain their flavor better
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1281mg | Potassium: 884mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1895IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 3mg
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