Beef Bolognese with eggplant
3
Points®
Total time: 35 min • Prep: 10 min • Cook: 25 min • Serves: 1 • Difficulty: Easy
Bolognese refers to foods prepared in the cooking style of Bologna, Italy. Bolognese sauce is a traditional meat sauce for pasta made by cooking ground meat—often a mix of several kinds—with aromatics like onions and garlic and tomatoes. This version combines lean ground beef with meaty eggplant for a welcome serving of vegetables in the sauce. Sometimes eggplant can be a little bitter. Remedy this by salting it after chopping and letting it sit for about 20 minutes in a colander. Rinse it and pat it dry on paper towels before proceeding with the recipe. This sauce freezes beautifully so make a double batch to enjoy now and freeze for a meal down the road.
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 spray(s)
Uncooked 93% lean ground beef
¼ pound(s), (7% fat or less)
Uncooked onion
¼ cup(s), chopped
Garlic
1 clove(s), minced
Uncooked eggplant
½ small, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
Canned tomato sauce
½ cup(s)
Table salt
1 pinch(es)
Black pepper
⅛ tsp
Fresh basil
2 Tbsp, chopped, fresh
Uncooked whole wheat pasta
1 oz, about 1/3 cup, rigatoni variety
Grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp
Instructions
1
Spray medium skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add beef, onion, and garlic and cook, breaking up beef with wooden spoon, until beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Add eggplant, tomato sauce, 3 tbsp water, salt, and black pepper. Cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in basil.
2
Meanwhile, cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain well.
3
Transfer rigatoni to serving bowl. Top with sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.
4
Serving size: 2/3 cup pasta and 1 1/2 cups sauce
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