Eggplant Bolognese

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the eggplant in the middle of the oven and bake until very tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove to let cool while you prepare the rest of the sauce.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large pot and in the onion, celery, carrots, zucchini, mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until very tender and soft, 15-20 minutes. Add in the garlic and the dried herbs and cook another 30-60 seconds.

Step 3

Add in the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Remove the eggplant from the skin and coarsely chop. Add into the sauce along with the crushed tomatoes and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, then simmer over low heat for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The sauce should be quite thick.

Step 5

When ready to serve, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just under al dente (about 2 minutes from package directions). Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Add 1/2 the sauce to the pot you just cooked the pasta in along with the cooked pasta and a generous splash of the reserved pasta water. Cook over low heat, tossing the entire time, until the pasta is al dente and cooked through. Add more sauce/pasta water as needed to thin and coat. Serve with more sauce as desired, fresh basil leaves, red pepper flakes and parm cheese as desired.