Rigatoni with Beef & Eggplant Ragu

Rating: 4 stars
2 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 0
  • 4 star values: 2
  • 3 star values: 0
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0

Eggplant gives this pasta sauce a rich meatiness that complements the ground beef. Plus the eggplant allows us to use a little less beef but still have a generous and hearty serving.

EatingWell Test Kitchen
Source: EatingWell Magazine, April/May 2006

Gallery

Recipe Summary

total:
35 mins
Servings:
4
Nutrition Profile:
Heart Healthy
Low-Calorie
High Fiber
Diabetic Appropriate
Low Sodium
High Blood Pressure
Healthy Aging
Healthy Immunity
Low Added Sugars
Nutrition Info
Advertisement

Ingredients

Directions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions.

    Advertisement

  • Meanwhile, cook beef, garlic and fennel seeds in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until the beef is browned, about 3 minutes. Add eggplant and oil; cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant browns, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and wine; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in oregano, salt and pepper.

  • Drain the pasta; serve topped with the sauce and sprinkled with pine nuts and feta, if using.

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the sauce (Step 2); cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Tip: To toast pine nuts, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:
399 calories; protein 21.9g; carbohydrates 57.5g; dietary fiber 10.4g; sugars 4.5g; fat 6.8g; saturated fat 1.4g; cholesterol 30mg; vitamin a iu 1148.3IU; vitamin c 17.9mg; folate 57.3mcg; calcium 63.5mg; iron 4.4mg; magnesium 124.8mg; potassium 791.6mg; sodium 344.6mg; thiamin 0.4mg.
Exchanges:

3 starch, 2 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1 fat
Advertisement

Reviews (2)

Read More Reviews
2 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 0
  • 4 star values: 2
  • 3 star values: 0
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
I needed to make some changes to this recipe to make it work. The eggplant needs to cook much longer than the recipe says and it should be salted and drained before its added so its not so bitter. Also I would add a large onion next time and saute it before adding the beef. We used lean cut freshly ground steak which made all the difference and I also added basil. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
This is a good recipe. I didn't add the wine and I brined the eggplant for a half hour and simmered it along with all the rest of the ingredients for a good hour. I'm not sure what the pine nuts add... Read More
Advertisement
© Copyright 2021 eatingwell.com. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.eatingwell.com 01/20/2021