Nobody Makes Moussaka Moussaka Pasta

I had some ground lamb and eggplant in the fridge and wanted to use them both–Moussaka seemed the obvious answer. But let’s face it–Moussaka is a bit of an ordeal. Nobody has time for Moussaka–NOBODY! (I’m telling myself  to make myself feel better also trying to get “Nobody makes Moussaka” into the lexicon.) Anyhoo, I decided to make a pasta sauce that incorporates most of the elements of Moussaka. It would give me the feel and flavors of Moussaka without the hassle. It turned out better than I could have imagined.

Ingredients (are approximate in some cases because I don’t measure when I cook):

• 1 lb. ground lamb (or beef)
• 1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 onion, cut into bite-size pieces
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 medium potato, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
• 1 heaping half-cup of Ricotta cheese
• 1 lb. hot cooked pasta of your choice
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Hard, grated Italian cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. In a dutch oven, brown the ground lamb in a bit of olive oil. Stir in the onions, garlic, zucchini, eggplant and potato.
2. Sweat the vegetables for a bit to remove some of their moisture. (They won’t release as much in oven.)
3. Add in the spices and season everything generously with salt and pepper.
4. Deglaze the pan with the wine, stirring up any bits of fond. Then add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and beef broth.
5. Cover and put in a 350 degree oven.
6. Cook for roughly an hour and half, long enough for the flavors to meld and the veggies to get quite tender. If desired, take the lid off the pot for the last half hour of cooking. This REALLY thickens up the sauce, giving it more of a “Moussaka” feel to me.
7. Remove the pot from the oven. Stir in the fresh parsley and Ricotta cheese.
8. Serve over pasta, with a sprinkling of hard Italian cheese, if desired.