Sicilian Spaghetti

Submitted by noway

"A pretty dish with lots of added veggies! Adapted from a Barnes and Noble Pasta and Italian cookbook."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 20mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• olive oil for frying eggplant
• 2 eggplants
• 3 cups ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 14 ounces chopped tomatoes (canned)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried marjoram or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1⁄2 cup black olives, pitted and sliced
• 1 bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped (green, red, or yellow)
• 6 ounces dried spaghetti
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• salt and pepper, to taste

directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Apply cooking spray to the sides and bottom of an 8-inch springform pan.
3. Slice the eggplant. Sprinkle salt on both sides of eggplant slices and let "sweat" for about 20 minutes. Rinse eggplant with water and pat dry.
4. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry the eggplant until browned on both sides.
5. Put the beef, onion, and garlic in a saucepan and cook, stirring until browned.
6. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, marjoram or oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
7. Add the olives and bell pepper and cook for 10 minutes longer.
8. Bring a pan of water with a few drops of olive oil to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until tender, but still firm. Drain and rinse.
9. Add spaghetti to meat mixture and cheese and toss together.
10. Arrange eggplant slices over the base and up the sides of the springform pan. Add the spaghetti mixture and then cover with remaining eggplant slices.
11. Bake at 400F for 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.