Vegetarian Eggplant Bolognese

I saw this and decided to make it with chickpea rotini  (half the carbs as regular pasta).

• 1 large Eggplant (peeled, large dice)  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more to garnish)
• 1 onion (peeled, minced)
• 1 carrot (peeled, minced)
• 1 cup celery (minced)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (I used raw sugar)
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup whole milk (I used 2%)
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/2 bunch fresh thyme
• 1/2 bunch fresh oregano
• 1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg (finely grated)
• 1 package (228 grams) chickpea rotini
• Fresh basil (roughly chopped, to serve)
• Parmigiano-Reggiano (freshly grated, to serve)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Line a baking sheet or large plate with paper towels and set aside.  I put the onion, carrots and celery into the food processor to make this easy.

I used one Japanese eggplant and one "regular" one.  They've been in the fridge for a few days, so it was time to use them as they were just starting to feel soft.

Season the eggplant with salt and place in a colander.

Allow to sit for at least 20 minutes. Remove to the prepared baking sheet and pat eggplant dry.  A large amount of water came out which was good.

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add the eggplant, in batches if necessary, and saute until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes.  What this recipe doesn't say is that eggplant will suck up the oil and you will have to add more to brown it.  I used at least double of what the recipe said.

Remove the eggplant to a plate and set aside. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, season with salt, and stir to combine. Saute until vegetables begin to soften, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the sugar, tomato paste, and add the eggplant back to the Dutch oven and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the milk and wine and season with pepper.  The milk broke as soon as it hit the pan, but oh well...

Tie the thyme and oregano together with butcher's twine and add to the Dutch oven along with the nutmeg.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer until nearly all the liquid has been absorbed and vegetables are completely soft, about 1 hour.  I covered mine for the last half hour.  Lightly mash some of the mixture and remove and discard herb bundle.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook 1 minute less than the package directions instruct. Remove the cooked pasta along with the 1/4 cup of the pasta water to the eggplant mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the basil and desired amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano. Top with more Parmigiano-Reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil to serve.

I'll admit I was really hungry and anything would have tasted good by the time dinner was ready.  This took a bit of time to make, but I loved it.  The broken milk was a non-issue.  The eggplant was sweet and tender, while the sauce felt meaty without having any.  The cheese and basil finished everything beautifully.  This goes into my meal rotation...