Recipe - Penne With Eggplant Roasted Peppers And Sausage

1 One half pound Japanese eggplant; about 6,
cut lengthwise, One fourth inch
slices
7 tablespoon Olive oil
Salt
Ground black pepper
1 pound Hot or sweet Italian sausage
4 ounce (1 jar) roasted red peppers;
drained, chopped coarse
or
1 Red bell pepper; roasted,
peeled and seeded and
chopped coarse
1 md Clove garlic; minced
1 md Tomato; peeled, seeded, dice
One half cup Loosely packed; minced
cilantro
1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon Lemon juice; from One half lemon
12 ounce Penne or dried pasta

TO COOK: Heat oven to 350øF. Brush eggplant slices with 3 tablespoon oil,
then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and One half teaspoon pepper. Place eggplant
and sausages on a baking pan; cover with foil. Bake until eggplant is
tender, about 20 minutes. Remove eggplant slices and cut them into small
dice; set aside.

Return sausages to the oven and bake, uncovered, until cooked through,
about 10 minutes longer. Cut sausages into 1/4inchthick slices. Mix
sausages and eggplant with next 6 ingredients. Season with One half teaspoon
salt and One fourth teaspoon pepper or to taste; set aside.

Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts water to boil in a soup kettle. Add 1 tablespoon
salt and penne; cook until pasta is just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain
pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl.

TO SERVE: Add remaining One fourth cup oil and sausage mixture to pasta; toss to
combine. (Can be covered and set aside at room temperature up to 1 hour.)
Serve.

Serves: 4 to 6

NOTES : A variety of flavors and textures enliven this hearty pasta. If you
have the time, chef Albert Rainer, of Hyde Street Bistro, suggests that you
roast fresh red bell peppers for use in this recipe.
Recipe by: Cook's Magazine June 1990

Posted to recipeludigest by "Valerie Whittle" catspaw@inetnow.net on Feb
3, 1998