Notes: This Bolognese sauce is so great, but if you are short on time, you can substitute a clean jarred version instead. A mandoline slicer comes in handy for this recipe, but it’s not necessary.
½poundorganic ground turkey or chicken sausageor 4 sausage links, sliced
1 16ouncecan of tomato sauce
6roma tomatoesroughly chopped
2stalks celerydiced
2carrotsdiced or ½ cup shredded carrots
1onionfinely chopped
½cupfresh thyme or basilchopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice eggplant into thin rounds, approximately ¼ inch thick. Thinner is better so they cook faster.
In a large skillet, heat a bit of butter or olive oil over high heat. Add eggplant slices, and fry on each side until brown. Set aside.
Lower the heat slightly, add more oil to the pan, and add diced onion and sausage. Stir frequently to prevent burning, approximately 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, and herbs and stir frequently for another 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover until tomatoes can be crushed with a spoon. Set sauce aside to cool.
Next, grease or spray a small glass or ceramic baking dish. Add a layer of eggplant noodles on the bottom, and sprinkle with cheese. Add a layer of the Bolognese sauce and fresh herbs. Keep repeating these layers until you run out of eggplant. Sprinkle a bit of cheese on the top and bake for 10-15 minutes until hot. Broil on high until the crust becomes brown and bubbly.