Badda Bing, Badda Boom

Happy Friday!
Ay marron, what a week. Work has taken center stage and has been quite the little diva this week, keeping me chained to my desk by day and collapsed on my couch by night. Our nightly routine has become a sea of strippers, illegal gambling, and shady murders - aka, we've started The Sopranos on Netflix. There are definitely some similarities between Tony and his family and my own...organized crime, dirty money, you know. I kid I kid. I'm referring more to the Italian family equipped with fab recipes, old world sayings, and the quintessential Nona. That's right ladies and gentlemen, my little old Italian grandmother could have been an extra on The Sopranos. Here's a pic of the little lady on her 91th birthday bash.

 And what goes perfectly with an Italian mob drama? Why, Nona's eggplant zucchini sauce, that's what.You could eat this sauce alone, its so good. And with eggplant in season and fall approaching, now is the time to make this hearty sauce and enjoy, freezing some for future cravings of course. Its simple, relatively quick, and just not that bad for you! So I like to tell myself anyways. I substitute ground turkey for the beef and use whole wheat pasta and light mozzarella.  For those veggie heads out there, it's just as good minus the meat! Here is the recipe, I die for this sauce, and you will too. Enjoy!

1 large eggplant
2 good sized zucchini
2 28oz cans Pastene ground peeled kitchen ready tomatoes
1+ pound hamburg (or turkey)
2 - 4 cloves garlic minced
1/3 olive oil
basil (fresh if you can)
salt and pepper

Peel eggplant and zucchini. Dice small.
Heat 1/3 cup olive oil (or more if needed) in pot. Add minced garlic and chopped vegetables.  Cook until mushy.  Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil.  Simmer for at least an hour partially covered.  Stir frequently.  Add browned, drained hamburg.  Cook for 1/2 hour more.

Add mozzarella and romano before serving.

This makes enough for 2 pounds of pasta.

Until next time blog heads,
Elyse