Eggplant and Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce

This sauce is wonderfully rich and versatile. It is packed with eggplant for flavor and texture. The first night I made it, I served it over whole wheat orecchiette pasta with roasted portabella mushrooms and eggplant fritters (pan-fried eggplant). This was definitely a vegetarian meal you could serve to company. 



The second time around I served it over quinoa with tilapia. In this meal, the fish was the feature and the sauce simply adorned the quinoa. Both meals were satisfying and delicious.
Enjoy with a salad to amp up the fiber (filling power!) 

Eggplant and Creamy Tomato Basil Sauce

Makes 8 servings

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 sweet onion, diced

1 eggplant, diced

28 oz of low-sodium diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

¼ cup half and half

Pepper, to taste

1/2 cup fresh chopped basil, divided

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.

2. Add onions and eggplant and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until soft.

3. Add tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and 2 Tbsp chopped basil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Add half and half and stir. Serve over pasta, rice, quinoa and top with pepper and remainder of basil.

Nutrition Facts: ½ cup sauce

60 calories, 2.5 g fat (1 g saturated), 8 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein, 200 mg sodium