Giada's Baked Angel Hair with Eggplant

I know, certainly not the prettiest picture in the world. Unfortunately by this point I was so frazzled by this recipe that trying to cut a clean, neat slice of the pie was simply beyond my capabilities. I really enjoyed this recipe, and I had been wanting to make it for quite some time, so I finally gave it a try last Sunday. Wow, am I ever glad I saved this for a weekend project. I wouldn't say it was difficult, exactly, but it was very putzy and time-consuming. It was definitely a nice change from my normal Sunday dinners, yet it still contained my Sunday gravy (if you really want to, you can use jar marinara sauce. I do not recommend this). I think this is a great dish if you're having a lot of people over for dinner or a party, but it's very difficult to justify making if it's just Will and I. We put up a good fight, but only made it through half of the pie (which included leftovers for a couple of days and a few lunches) before throwing in the towel. So plan accordingly, but enjoy! I've been looking for a new recipe that includes eggplant, and I think the flavor really came through in this recipe of Giada's.

Oh, just a word of warning. When you're rolling out the puff pastry dough, make sure you roll it out enough so it covers the bottom AND the sides of the springform pan. If the bottom layer of dough doesn't cover the sides, the filling will spill out through the top layer and you'll have a nice little mess to clean up in your oven...not like I would know anything about that!
Originally found on Elizabeth's Edible Experience
Source: Food Network

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 to 6 Japanese eggplants (about 2 pounds total), cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 pound mild Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces angel hair pasta
• 1 pound mozzarella, diced
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 (17 1/4-ounce) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

Directions:

1. Chop eggplant into 1-inch cubes.

2. Heat 1/3 cup of oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the eggplant and toss to coat in the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute the eggplant until it is golden and tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Decrease the heat to medium. Add half of the garlic and saute until it is tender, about 2 minutes longer. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant mixture to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the remaining eggplant and garlic.

4. Add the sausage and wine to the same frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat until the wine evaporates and the sausage is brown, breaking the sausage into pieces with the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes.

5. Add the sausage, marinara sauce, and crushed red pepper to the eggplant mixture, and toss to combine.

6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the angel hair and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until pasta is still slightly crunchy and undercooked. Drain. Toss the angel hair with the eggplant mixture. Cool completely.

7. Add the mozzarella and Parmesan and toss to combine.

8. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

9. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on a floured surface to a 13 1/2-inch square.

10. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan, allowing the excess pastry to hang over the rim. (This is where I had a little trouble...)

11. Spoon the pasta mixture into the pan.*Elizabeth had a great suggestion for this step; fill up the springform pan with about 1/4 of the mixture, then press down with the back of your spoon until the mixture is flattened. Repeat until you've used up the mixture in the bowl. I didn't think there was any possible way I could fit the entire eggplant mixture in the pan, but I was able to do it!

12. Place the second pastry sheet atop the pasta filling.

13. Pinch the edges of the pastry sheets together to seal. Trim the overhanging pastry edges to about 1-inch. Fold the pastry edges in to form a decorative border. Cut a slit in the center of the top pastry to allow the steam to escape.

14. Bake until the pastry is brown and puffed on top, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes. Remove the pan sides and serve.