In a heavy bottom skillet, cook the ground sausage in about 2 T. of olive oil and set it 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.

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, add the can of fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, dry white wine and water.

Stir well and set your slow cooker for LOW at 3.5 hours or HIGH for 7 hours.

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)