This Spicy Sausage and Eggplant Spaghetti Bake is cheesy and delicious comfort food!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Comfort Food, Pasta Bake, WW Pasta
Prep Time 50 minutesmins
Cook Time 25 minutesmins
Total Time 1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Servings 6(1 cup) servings
Calories 345
Author Emily Bites
Ingredients
1large eggplantcut into 1” square pieces
2tablespoonsextra virgin olive oildivided
Salt & pepperto taste
4ozdry wheat spaghetti
1cupred oniondiced
2garlic clovesminced
½lbhot Italian turkey or chicken sausagemake sure to get the spicy kind, casings removed
1 ½cupsmarinara sauce
2teaspoonscrushed red pepper flakes
1cup2% reduced fat shredded Mozzarella cheese
¾cupgrated Parmesan cheesedivided
¼cupseasoned bread crumbs
a few basil leaves for garnishsliced (optional)
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 400. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, toss the eggplant cubes with one tablespoon of the olive oil and salt & pepper to taste until eggplant is lightly coated. Spread the eggplant in a single layer across the prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
While the eggplant cooks, fill a pot with water, salt it, and bring it to a boil. Cook the spaghetti al dente according to package directions and drain, reserving about 1/3 cup of the pasta water.
While the water boils/spaghetti cooks, pour the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into a large skillet or sauté pan and bring to medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until onions are softened and almost translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with a wooden or plastic spoon, until meat is cooked through. Stir in marinara sauce and reduce heat to low.
When the eggplant is finished roasting, remove it from the oven and turn the oven temperature down to 375. Lightly mist a 7x11 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
When the spaghetti is finished and drained, add it to the sauce mixture and stir to coat. Add the roasted eggplant and the crushed red pepper and stir until combined. Remove from heat for about 10 minutes. Mixture will still be warm.
Add the mozzarella cheese, ½ cup of the Parmesan, and the 1/3 cup reserved pasta water to the pasta mixture and stir until well combined. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and the bread crumbs over the top. Place the dish in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the crumbs on top start to turn golden and the cheese in the pasta is bubbling throughout. Top with sliced basil leaves and serve.
Notes
To view your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!Nutrition Information:345 calories, 34 g carbs, 8 g sugars, 15 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 21 g protein, 7 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)MyWW SmartPoints per (1 cup) serving:(SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)Green: 10 SmartPoints/ Blue: 10 SmartPoints/ Purple: 8 SmartPointsWeight Watchers Points Plus: 9 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)adapted from Plum Pie