"Sausage and..." is undeniably one of the most classic lead-ins to something truly delicious. "Sausage and Peppers," "Sausage and Potatoes Provençal Style," "Sausage and Parmesan Polenta," and so on. Rarely is sausage the star on its own, and for good reason - it's simply too delicious when sharing the spotlight.

Today, I'm pairing Italian Style sausage with eggplant, onions, and red bell peppers to create a sort of 'stew' or 'sauce' that, while delicious on its own, can just easily be spooned over rice, pasta, or folded into flatbreads.

Why You'll Love Today's Sausage and Eggplant Recipe

1) Appetizer or Main Course - You Decide This sausage and eggplant recipe can be a meal unto itself, especially if paired with pasta or rice, but it's also at home as part of an appetizer spread, especially if paired with flatbreads and cured meat. In other words, this recipe is at home in the spotlight, but isn't averse to playing a supporting role either. It's all up to you.

2) Make Ahead. This recipe will keep in the fridge for three to four days, and only gets better during that time, since the flavors meld and marinate. As a result, this is a great recipe for making ahead of time by a day or two.

3) A Recipe For All Seasons. Given this recipe's combination of warming flavors, and 'stew like' composition, it's great for colder weather, especially alongside a nice piece of crusty bread. By contrast, this would also pair excellently with flatbreads under the sun on a summer day just fine, making this a year round recipe.

Sausage and Eggplant - Ingredient Checklist

1. 6 Italian Style Sausage links
   • Hot or Sweet Sausage?: Entirely preference. The choice of sweet or hot Italian sausage comes down solely to your heat preference.
   • Casings: I always suggest choosing sausages with natural casings, as these will have the best texture and a nice snap.
   • Avoid Pre-Cooked: I know it might be tempting for the sake of saving a few minutes on cook time, but I really cannot stress enough the importance of avoiding pre-cooked sausages. Fresh sausages develop better char and flavor.
   • Room Temperature: This applies to all meats, and that includes sausages. For best results, bring the sausages to room temperature 15 minutes before cooking
   • Substitute: Your preferred sausage substitutes will all work in today's recipe. Chicken Italian sausage for a lighter option, or plant-based Italian sausage for a vegetarian version.
2. 1 red bell pepper, sliced
   • Selecting Bell Peppers: You want to choose firm peppers with glossy, unblemished skin.
   • Remove the Seeds: Unlike spicy chili peppers, the seeds from bell peppers usually only bring bitterness, so be sure to remove the white pith and seeds to keep the peppers sweet.
   • Substitute: Your preferred peppers will get the job done just fine. Mix and match bell peppers, or even opt for spicy chilis.
3. 6 cloves garlic, chopped
   • Use Fresh: For this recipe, fresh garlic is definitely a must, since we want that robust garlicy flavor and aroma. It's a key part of the flavor profile.
   • Chop, Don't Grate: For this recipe, I would recommend chopping up the garlic coarsely. This is to prevent burning during the charring process. This is not a recipe where we want finely chopped garlic or grated garlic.
   • Substitute: About 2 teaspoons garlic powder (add with other seasonings).
4. 2 red onions, sliced
   • Note: Red onions provide beautiful color and a slightly sharper flavor, which I find works very nicely in this recipe.
   • The Slice: I recommend slicing pole-to-pole (root to stem) for best caramelization and structure retention. From there, cut into ¼-inch thick slices for optimal charring without burning
   • Substitute: Sweet onions or shallots will get the job done.
5. 2 serrano peppers, sliced (with or without seeds)
   • Why Serranos? Serrano peppers provide bright, clean heat (10,000-25,000 Scoville units). They also bring a nice 'chili flavor' that I find works really well in this recipe.
   • Seeds or no seeds?: If you want to reduce the heat, remove the seeds, otherwise leave them in.
   • The Slice: I suggest slicing the peppers into thin rounds for even heat distribution. This also ensures uniform texture.
   • Substitute: Your chilis of choice will work just fine, or even mix and match. In terms of heat, jalapeños will provide milder heat, while Fresno peppers are roughly medium heat, or you could opt for Thai chilies for more intense heat. It's all preference.
6. 1 Sicilian eggplant, cubed with skin
   • The type of eggplant: Sicilian (globe) eggplants are less bitter and have fewer seeds than other varieties. That said, whichever eggplant your local supermarket happens to have on hand will get the job done just fine.
   • How to choose an eggplant: Always opt for firm, heavy feeling eggplants with glossy, unblemished skin.
   • The Cut: Try to cut uniform, 1-inch cubes for proper cooking time and texture. Remember, uniform cooking is key.
   • Don't Salt: I don't know where or how this tip started, but seriously don't salt the eggplant before charring, as charring naturally removes the bitterness. All salting the eggplant first does is add salt. There's no need for that.
   • Substitute: If using Japanese eggplant try to slice it a little thicker. If using baby eggplants halve and then quarter them.
7. 1 pint cherry tomatoes
   • How to choose: As always, I suggest choosing ripe-yet-firm tomatoes. You want the tomatoes to be firm so that they don't collapse during cooking.
   • Substitute: Grape tomatoes, or 2 large Roma tomatoes cut into chunks.
8. ½ lb. fresh baby spinach
   • Why baby spinach?: Baby spinach wilts quickly and has more tender texture than mature spinach.
   • Substitute: You can indeed use mature spinach, just be sure to remove the stems. My go-to substitute, however, would probably be arugula, which would bring a nice peppery flavor to the recipe.
9. 10-15 fresh basil leaves
   • Fresh Only: The fresh basil brings a key flavor to the recipe - bright, herbal anise notes. Dried basil simply does not have these qualities.
   • When to add: Be sure to add the basil towards the end to preserve the delicate flavors I just spoke about, and to prevent the basil from wilting too much.
   • Tear Don't Cut: Tear leaves rather than cutting to prevent bruising and darkening, which also negatively impacts flavor.
   • Substitute: This is one recipe where I could actually see fresh oregano 'not' overpowering the other ingredients and instead shining through as a complimentary flavor. However, use half the amount. Conversely, you could also opt for fresh parsley.
10. 2 tablespoons raisins
    • Which Raisins?: While I personally used plain red raisins because that's what I had on hand, I would probably recommend using golden raisins, since they bring a touch more sweetness and less acidity. That said, your preferred raisin type will get the job done just fine.
    • Substitute: My go-to would probably be dried currants, chopped dried apricots, or pine nuts. That said, you could also just add any of these substitutions in along with the raisins. Don't be afraid of getting creative!
11. 1½ teaspoons salt
    • Which to use?: For this particular recipe, I would recommend opting for kosher salt or sea salt.
    • When to add: I know it might be tempting to toss the salt in at the end, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to season throughout the cooking process.
12. 1 tablespoon dried oregano
    • Crush it: Be sure to crush it before adding to release its natural oils.
    • Fresh?: No. Fresh oregano should only be used as a substitute for the basil, and only half the amount. Dried oregano brings savory herbal notes that really cannot be replicated, and that are essential for the recipe.
13. 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
    • Fresher is better: Freshly ground pepper provides significantly richer aromatics and better flavor than pre-ground.
    • Coarse Grind: For this recipe, I do suggest using a coarse grind for more texture.
14. ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • Note: Adds another layer of heat and some red color.
    • Substitute: A pinch of cayenne pepper (about ¼ teaspoon). You might also consider Aleppo pepper for fruity heat.
15. Juice of ½ lemon
    • Fresher is better: I say this a lot, but fresh lemon juice is simply superior, providing bright acidity and citrus notes that are simply absent from bottled.
    • Substitute: A splash of white wine (about 1 tablespoon). Fresh lime juice also works nicely.
16. 2-3 tablespoons honey
    • Nothing Fancy: Using expensive honey in cooked recipes is a waste of honey because the cooking process destroys all of the delicate nuances that make expensive honey desirable in the first place.
17. 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
    • Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil?: For this recipe, the olive oil adds richness and a provides a bit of the flavor profile. As such, you want the qualities that 'make' extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil brings robust, fruity olive oil flavor that can stand up to the bold flavors of this recipe.
    • Substitute: If you must substitute the extra virgin olive oil, I would suggest something like avocado oil or any other flavor neutral cooking oil.
18. Thinly sliced Parmesan or Romano cheese
    • Your Grating Cheese of Choice: Whether parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Romano, your grating cheese of choice will work just fine.
19. Fresh Italian bread or your favorite bread
    • Crusty Italian Bread: Opt for a nice Italian bread with a decent crust for soaking up the pan juices and sandwiching the eggplant and sausage.
    • Suggestions: My go-to bread types would be ciabatta or focaccia.

Wine Pairing Suggestions

Red Wine Pairings

• Chianti Classico - A classic Tuscan wine for a classic Tuscan dish. No surprises here. A good Chianti is a match made in heaven for sausage and eggplant.
• Barbera d'Alba - This is a high acidity Italian red wine, with medium tannins, which will help balance out this recipe's richness deliciously.
• Nero d'Avola - A little known but utterly delicious Sicilian red wine that would pair beautifully with this recipe's medley of Mediterranean flavors.

White Wine Pairings

• Vermentino - A crisp Italian white that won't risk overpowering the eggplant and sausage.
• Pinot Grigio - Fir a clean, fresh pairing that cleanses the palate between bites.

More Sausage Goodness From Living the Gourmet

1) Sausage and Peppers. I mentioned sausage and peppers earlier, and here's a link to my favorite version of that classic Italian American recipe.

2) Sausage and Potatoes. A "Provençal" classic, a one pan meal combining sausage and potatoes in an herbed 'stew' or 'sauce, this is 'elegantly simple gourmet' at its finest. Trust me, try it.

3) Sausage and Tomatoes with Homemade Flatbreads. I mentioned once or twice above how well today's recipe would pair with flatbreads, here's an example of precisely that.

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And that's our recipe for Sausage and Eggplant. If you enjoyed today's recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you. Happy Cooking!