Eggplant Ragout (Meatless)!

My take on eggplant ragout differs a bit from the traditional route, but it’s a versatile and flavorful meatless dish that you can customize to your liking. Some of the best vegetables that have a “meaty” bite to them are eggplant and mushrooms, and the thicker, chewy veggies add a nice texture to the dish. Eggplants are packed with nutrients and antioxidants, so though the flavor is rich, this is a dish you can feel good about!

You can use any kind of pasta you’d like, but I chose to serve it over sauteed zucchini noodles! This recipe serves 2 (and if you’re lucky, you may have leftovers!), and the great thing about it is that you can use substitutions for items you may not have or want to use.

For this ragout, you will need:

• One large eggplant, diced
• One small red onion
• Three large cloves of garlic
• One crown of broccoli
• Four large mushrooms
• One large diced plum tomato OR can of 15-oz diced tomatoes OR several diced grape tomatoes (I used seven and a few tablespoons of no-sugar tomato sauce)
• One large zucchini
• Olive oil
• Salt/Pepper (feel free to use garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper to taste)

First, prep the eggplant by salting it (and allowing it to rest for several minutes – this draws the moisture out. Then, dice it into medium chunks.

Saute garlic and onions in one tablespoon of olive oil (you can substitute with avocado, coconut, or grape seed oil) on medium heat several minutes, or until softened. Add the diced tomatoes and eggplant.

Cut the broccoli and mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Stir into the ragout mixture. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.

Next, make the “zoodles.” You can use any spiralizer or tool you’d like. This one was only about $10 in the infomercial section at Walgreens! Saute the zucchini in a tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Season to taste. One thing to watch out for is that zucchini noodles can get a little watery, so you may want to drain them before serving.

Once tender, pour the ragout mixture over the zucchini. Top with Parmesan or mozzarella cheese and red pepper flakes.

My favorite way to serve this is with zucchini noodles, but you can also use black bean noodles, or something more traditional, like pappardelle. You can also add sweet peppers or capers for more flavor, and you can add a splash of heavy cream and shaved Parmesan into the ragout for a creamier sauce.

This meal is simple to prepare, cooks quickly, offers amazing nutritional value, low in carbs, and tastes amazing. Enjoy, and let me know your favorite things to add to ragout!