Everything's Beta with Feta !

Pasta and cheese are a must-do combination. In my opinion, every pasta dish MUST contain some type of cheese. It doesn't matter if it is a thick layerying of melty goodness on top of the dish, a sparse sprinkling or sophisticated shaving - as long as the cheese is present in some fashion. Feta isn't a typical cheese choice for pasta, but it is not any less delicious than your expected "pasta cheeses". It is really made for this dish and its briney perfection is the perfect match to the hot sausage and succulent eggplant!

Whole Wheat Penne with Sausage, Eggplant and Feta
Adapted from Cooking Light April 2005

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups)

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups cubed eggplant (about 1 pound)
• 1/2 pound bulk hot pork breakfast sausage
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 6 cups hot cooked whole wheat penne (about 10 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) cubed feta cheese
• 1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
  

Preparation

Cook eggplant, sausage, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 12 minutes or until sausage is browned and eggplant is tender.

Add tomato paste,

oregeno,

tomatoes and black pepper; cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add cooked pasta and cheese

and parsley to the tomato sausage mixture; toss well.