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italian eggplant meat sauce

Pamelalala avatar
Recipe by
Pamela Rappaport
@Pamelalala
The Villages, FL

We had lots of eggplant in the garden this summer and I've cooked it just about every way I know. One day I decided to try it in an Italian meat sauce. It's good in Eggplant Parmesan, why not in a sauce, right? This is what I came up with, my husband says it's one of his favorite eggplant dishes. The taste of the eggplant comes through even in this hearty sauce.

yield 8 serving(s)
prep time 30 Min
cook time 3 Hr
method Stove Top

Ingredients For italian eggplant meat sauce

  • 1 1/2 lb
    ground beef
  • 1
    onion, chopped
  • 1
    green bell pepper, chopped
  • 2
    stalks celery, chopped
  • 4 c
    peeled and diced eggplant, approximately
  • 2 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 1
    carrot, grated
  • 2
    large cans diced tomatoes
  • 1
    small can tomato paste
  • 2 tsp
    dried oregano leaves
  • 2 tsp
    dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp
    dried rosemary
  • 2 tsp
    dried basil
  • salt and pepper
  • water as needed

How To Make italian eggplant meat sauce

  • 1
    Brown ground beef in large sauce pot.
  • 2
    Add onions, celery, and pepper and saute until onion is transparent.
  • 3
    Add garlic, carrots, and eggplant and saute for a few minutes more.
  • 4
    Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Watch it at first, the eggplant will give off some moisture but you may need to add some water for it to have enough moisture to simmer. I think this sauce is better the longer it cooks. I usually start it at lunch and simmer it until dinner. Cook it at least 2 hours for all the eggplant to break down.
  • 5
    Serve over your choice of pasta. We like spaghetti, papardelle, or tagliatelle. Be sure to top it with lots of Parmesan cheese.
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