Recipe for Eggplant Parm Ravioli

Here's another great "garden fresh" recipe I've discovered. I'll give you the original recipe, then let you know how I tweaked it.

Eggplant Parm Ravioli

3 eggplants (1 1/2 lbs.), peeled and coarsely chopped

6 1/2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

Salt and pepper
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
12 egg roll wrappers

1. Using food processor, finely chop the eggplant. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 T. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1 clove garlic and cook until golden, 1-2 minutes. Add the eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the mozzarella and 1/3 cup parmesan.
2. In the same skillet, heat 3 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until golden, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 4 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat to low and stir in the basil.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the remaining 2 T. of olive oil. Working with 1 at a time, fill each wrapper with 2 rounded T. of the eggplant mixture: moisten the edges with water and fold in half, pressing the edges to seal. Working in 2 batches, cook the ravioli until tender, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer 3 ravioli each to 4 shallow bowls. Stir 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water into the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper; spoon over the ravioli and sprinkle the remaining parmesan on top.

I changed it up a bit by adding some mild Italian sausage, which goes quite nicely with the eggplant and cheeses. I browned the sausage, then added it to the eggplant mixture. I didn't have quite enough eggplant in my garden, (and I had an abundance of zucchini), so I added a peeled, seeded, and chopped zucchini to the eggplant. I also used fresh garden tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes and just cut them into chunks. The garlic and basil were also fresh from the garden. The end result was just delicious. So, if you got veggies in the garden, this is a great way to use them up and make a yummy and satisfying meal. I'll probably try different variations of this in the future, as well. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!
-Michelle of CreativeCritters