This eggplant pasta is a delicious Italian-inspired dish, made with rich tomato sauce, dry white wine, and sausage, and the best part? It’s a super easy weeknight crockpot meal for busy nights. Just set it and forget it!
Table of Contents
The eggplant in this pasta is so good, you won’t even know you’re eating a vegetable! It’s cooked in the crockpot with the tomato sauce, so it gets all soft and flavorful. Plus, the eggplant adds a nice, meaty texture to the pasta.
A couple of years ago, I came across a recipe in an issue of ‘Good & Fresh’ magazine that involved eggplant pasta and a slow cooker. Brilliant! I’ve changed the recipe quite a bit to enhance the flavors for our family. It’s a dish we all enjoy this busy time of year.
If you like this recipe, I think you should try my sausage pasta or pesto pasta or give my easy lasagna recipe a try. And if you’re a fan of comfort food, you’ll love my inside-out ravioli casserole.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Easy and Convenient: Thanks to the slow cooker, this recipe is incredibly easy to make. Just set it and forget it! It’s a great time saver without compromising on flavor.
- Flavor-Packed: The combination of ground sausage, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a splash of white wine creates a sauce that’s bursting with flavor.
- Comfort Food: There’s something so comforting about a warm, hearty bowl of pasta. This recipe is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for cozy nights in.
- Family Favorite: This recipe is a hit with the whole family. The hearty eggplant and sausage make it a satisfying meal, and you can always adjust the level of spice to suit your family’s preferences.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Key Ingredients
- Ground Sausage: This savory ingredient will add a rich and meaty flavor to the dish, complement the other ingredients, and give the pasta a hearty texture.
- Olive Oil: It will be used for sauté more of the other ingredients, and it adds a delicious, fruity flavor to the dish.
- White Onion: This will add a sweet and tangy flavor to the dish, and it will also provide a nice crunch to the pasta.
- Garlic: It will add a strong, pungently sweet flavor to the dish, and it will also provide a nice crunch to the pasta.
- Fennel Seed: It adds a subtle, sweet licorice flavor to the dish, and it will also help to cut through the richness of the sausage.
- Eggplant: This will add a soft, creamy texture to the dish, and it will also provide a nice, mild flavor that complements the other ingredients.
- Fresh Parsley and Basil: These will add a fresh, herby flavor to the dish, and they will also provide a nice, bright pop of color.
- Oregano: It will add a warm, balsamic and aromatic flavor to the dish, and it will also help to cut through the richness of the sausage.
- Salt: It will enhance the other flavors in the dish and help to balance out the sweetness of the tomatoes.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes: These will add a smoky, charred flavor to the dish, and they will also provide a nice, thick sauce that coats the pasta.
- Tomato Paste: It will add a deep, rich, and tangy flavor to the dish, and it will also help to thicken the sauce.
- Dry White Wine: It will add a sweet, fruity flavor to the dish, and it will also help to deglaze the pan and bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Water: It will be used to thin out the sauce if it’s too thick, and it will also help to cook the pasta.
- Heavy Cream: This is optional, but if you choose to use it, it will add a rich, creamy flavor to the dish, and it will also help to thicken the sauce.
- Fresh Parmesan: This is optional, but if you choose to use it, it will add a salty, nutty flavor to the dish, and it will also provide a nice, gooey texture.
Equipment
- Heavy Bottom Skillet – You’ll need this to cook the ground sausage and sauté the onion, garlic, and fennel seeds. It’s important to use a heavy-bottom skillet to ensure even cooking and to prevent burning.
- Slow Cooker – This is the key piece of equipment for this recipe. It’s where you’ll combine all the ingredients and let them simmer to perfection.
How to Make Eggplant Pasta
Preparation
Start by peeling the eggplant and chopping it into small cubes. Also, chop up the fresh parsley and basil.
Step 1 – Cook the Sausage
In a heavy-bottom skillet, heat olive oil and cook the ground sausage. Once it’s done, set it aside.
Step 2 – Saute the Onion Mixture
Using the same skillet, saute the onion, garlic, and fennel seeds until the seeds start to pop and crisp.
Step 3 – Combine Ingredients in the Slow Cooker
Add the cooked sausage, onion mixture, and chopped eggplant to your slow cooker. Then, add the fresh parsley, basil, dried oregano, and salt.
Step 4 – Add the Tomato Base
To the slow cooker, add the fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, dry white wine, and water. Stir everything together and set your slow cooker to the desired cooking time.
Step 5 – Cook the Pasta
When ready to serve, cook 10 oz. of your favorite pasta in salted water and stir the pasta into the sauce.
Step 6 – Add the Final Touches
Stir in the heavy cream and top with fresh parmesan if you like. Your eggplant pasta is ready to serve.
Lynette’s Tip
To ensure the best flavor in your eggplant pasta, don’t skip the step of sautéing the onion, garlic, and fennel seeds until the seeds pop and start to crisp. This will release their aromatic oils and add a depth of flavor to your dish.
Slow Cooker Eggplant Pasta with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground sausage
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Cup white onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
- 2 Cups eggplant chopped with skin removed
- 1/2 Cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 Cup fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 14.5 oz. fire roasted tomatoes
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup water
Optional Garnishes
- heavy cream optional to make it creamier
- fresh parmesan optional to sprinkle on servings
Instructions
Food Prep:
- In a heavy bottom skillet, cook the ground sausage in olive oil. Set aside.
- Using the same pan, saute the onion, garlic and fennel seeds until the seeds pop and start to crisp.
- Meanwhile, peel an eggplant with a vegetable peeler. Discard the peels and chop up two cups of the eggplant fruit into small cubes.
Slow Cooker:
- Add the sausage, onion mixture and eggplant to your slow cooker.
- Next, chop up and add the fresh parsley, fresh basil and add the dried oregano and salt to the slow cooker. Stir and then add the can of fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, dry white wine and water.
- Stir well and set your slow cooker for high at 3.5 hours or low for 7 hours.
Serving:
- When ready to serve, cook 10 oz. of your favorite pasta pasta in salted water and stir the pasta into the sauce.
- Stir in heavy cream and/or top with fresh Parmesan (optional).
Notes
- Pasta Choice: This recipe calls for penne, but you can use any pasta you like. Spaghetti, fusilli, or rigatoni all work well
- Meat: I used sausage in this recipe, but feel free to use ground beef or turkey if you prefer.
- Spices: You can customize the flavor of the dish by adding more herbs and spices. Some Italian seasoning is a great option.
- For a cozy night in, serve your eggplant pasta with a side of garlic bread and a glass of your favorite red wine.
- If you’re hosting a dinner party, this dish pairs well with a fresh, green salad and some homemade focaccia bread.
- For a quick and easy lunch, simply serve the eggplant pasta on its own, with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese on top.
Nutrition
Recipe FAQs
You can see that the seeds are a light golden brown. That means the eggplant has been freshly picked. If you cut into an eggplant that has dark brown or black seeds, it has been picked for a while. You can still use the eggplant as long as the flesh is still firm.
Yes, for this recipe, it’s best to peel the eggplant to remove the skin. This helps the eggplant to blend in with the sauce and gives it a softer texture. However, if you prefer a more rustic look and don’t mind the slightly chewy texture, you can leave the skin on.
Yes, you can. Simply cook the sausage, onion, garlic, and fennel seeds in a large pot or Dutch oven. Then add the remaining ingredients, except for the pasta, and let it simmer for about 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. This will allow the flavors to develop and the eggplant to soften.
This looks yummy! I just wanted to confirm that it’s 3.5 hours on high or 7 hours on low…?
Yes, that is correct! 🙂