Sausage Ratatouille

Yes, I just posted another ratatouille recipe a couple of weeks ago, but I have been so tempted by all the fresh produce at the farmers market that I decided to make it again. This time I used fresh chicken Italian sausage from the meat case at Whole Foods. This sausage has terrific flavor and it has less fat than regular sausage. It's also tasty mixed with ground beef to make meatballs for spaghetti. This ratatouille used most of the same vegetables as the one I made earlier, but I also tossed in some big chunks of eggplant. Andy doesn't like eggplant, but it doesn't stop him from eating the dish—he just picks them out. Enjoy!

Sausage Ratatouille
1 onion, chopped
Olive oil
1 lb. chicken Italian sausage
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. herbs de provence
3 zucchini, chopped
1/2 eggplant, cut into chunks
1 (28-oz.) can tomato puree
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Hot cooked ziti

1. Sauté chopped onion in hot oil 5 minutes; add in sausage and next 2 ingredients. Cook until veggies begin to soften. Stir in salt, pepper, and herbs de provence. Add in zucchini and eggplant, and cook 10 more minutes. Stir in tomato puree, 1/2 cup water, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10 more minutes. Stir in parsley, basil, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve over hot cooked ziti.