Eggplant casserole with pasta and minced meat

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g pasta (e.g. penne)
• 1 eggplant(s)
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 large can of tomatoes (alternatively 1 bottle of tomato sauce)
• 1 bag of cheese, grated
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp herbs de Provence
• Salt
• pepper
• 1 tbsp crème fraîche
• 500 g minced meat (beef)

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Peel and dice the onion. Wash the eggplant and quarter it lengthwise. Remove the white core and seeds, then finely dice the rest. Fry the diced onion with the minced meat in a large pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the eggplant cubes, then pour the tomatoes or tomato sauce over them. Simmer everything together for 30 minutes. In the meantime, bring a pan of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente, drain well, and transfer to a large casserole dish. Finally, stir 1 tablespoon of crème fraîche into the now prepared meat sauce. Add pepper, salt, and herbs to taste. Then pour the sauce over the pasta and sprinkle with plenty of grated cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C for about 15-20 minutes – done! It keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days and can also be frozen. Tip: Instead of eggplants you can also use zucchini or peppers.