Yummy Greek-Inspired Spaghetti

Do you love eggplant?

Do you love Moussaka, but hesitate to make it often because, well, who has time to make bechamel sauce?

If so, perhaps you will enjoy Aunt Melissa's original creation, Greek-inspired Spaghetti.

This recipe is quite simple and came to me in a flash of inspiration last night as I prepared to make blah garden variety spaghetti and pasta sauce from a jar. Uncle Steve and I (how do I put this delicately?) totally-pigged out on this dish last night and I'm currently counting the hours until dinner so that we can have leftovers tonight!!

Aunt Melissa's Fake Moussaka - Spaghetti

Ingredients:

Olive Oil (for frying)
1 Large onion, chopped
3/4 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I buy it by the jar)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Prepared Pasta Sauce
3 small eggplant (or One LARGE)
Approx. 1/2 cup corn flour*
Feta Cheese for garnish
Salt & Pepper to taste
Spaghetti in the size of your choice.

*Do not use cornmeal. If corn flour is not available, wheat flour is the next best alternative.

• Begin by boiling water for pasta.

• Heat a skillet or dutch oven and add the Olive Oil (I used a cast-iron skillet with a few remaining bacon drippings to which I added olive oil).
• Cook the chopped onion until they become transparent.
• Add the ground beef and garlic and cook until brown.
  
• Sprinkle in the cinnamon, mix well and transfer meat to a large serving bowl.
• If necessary, add more olive oil to the pan and bring the oil back to frying temperature.
  
• Check to see if pasta water has boiled, adding spaghetti and setting timer when ready.
  
• Next, wash, dry and slice eggplant into circular slices approximately 3/4 inch thick.
  
• Toss slices in a bowl with corn flour and salt.
  
• Transfer slices one by one to the fry pan and gently brown on both sides.
  
• As eggplant slices are ready, toss them in the serving dish on top of the ground beef mixture. Continue Frying until all eggplant is done.
• (I saved out approximately 8 slices of eggplant to serve as an appetizer/side dish. I also found leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge, which I scooped by melon baller into the leftover corn flour coating and fried in the remaining oil, making lovely little fried balls of mashed potato as the second side dish).
  
• Open the pasta sauce and poor over the meat and eggplant mixture (no need to heat first, as the hot pasta will warm all ingredients back to serving temperature.
  
• Once pasta has reached al dente, drain and (without rinsing) pour over the sauce mixture and toss well.
  
• Transfer to serving plates, topping with crumbled feta and surrounded by reserved fried eggplant and crispy mashed potato nuggets.

Enjoy, and please let me know if you like this recipe. It's an original from me to you.

Happy Cooking!

Aunt Melissa