Ingredients:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
½ cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
½ cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 Medium sized eggplants
1/2 cup milk
Container of Breadcrumbs
Container of Vegetable Oil
16 ounces ricotta cheese
3 eggs
1 pound mozzarella cheese, diced
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
RECIPE:
In a Dutch oven, onion and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Fry up Sausage meat in skillet with a splash of olive oil until browned. Drain on paper towels.
Peel eggplants. Slice eggplant in thin to medium slices the long way. Fill 2 bowls. One bowl with the milk and 2 eggs and mix well. The other bowl with a good amount of breadcrumbs. Dip each slice in the egg mix and then cover both sides with breadcrumbs. Fry in oil until lightly browned and turn and brown the other side. Drain on paper towels and continue browning until all are done. Make sure you tap the top of each piece with a paper towel to remove the oil after the browning.
In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with one egg, remaining parsley, a 1/2 teaspoon salt and blend.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of sauce in the bottom of a Springform Pan. Arrange a single layer of eggplant over sauce. Spread with about 4 Tbsp of the ricotta cheese mixture. Spoon some sauce over cheese.
Add in a nice big handful of Ziti. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Sprinkle a good handful of sausage. Add a little more sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the top layer, which you sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella, Sausage and Parmesan cheese. Add remaining Italian Parsley on top.
Cover pan with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes in pan before releasing the latch on the springform pan.
Enjoy!!
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